Prelude to Legends: The Hyrule Fantasy
by NeoShinigamiSama
Summary: Legends often, with the passage of time, are obscured and details are lost or changed. What if the legend of how it all began wasn't what we have been told?
1. The Beginning

Notes! Bleh. I'm saying right now, thish is not the original HTML coded version of the story. A lot had to be sacrificed so that thish story could be put on FFN. For the original formated version, go to the url of my homepage link, and scroll down to Prelude to Legends. Also, I want real reviews, not "OMG! YOu rox!" or "You SUXor!" I want real reviews, details on what was liked and what was not liked, and any suggestions on things to fix or possibly change. As to some changes in spelling, it all has to do with a Hylian grammar system I'm working on in terms of "translation" to English. If you want more on that, it'll be at my site some time soon. Until then, just read, enjoy, and let me know what you think. I'll be posting the rest of the story as soon as I can convert the formating. Probably one a week or so. Now, onto the story! 

**_Long ago, before Time was Time,_**  
_**Before existence...there were the Gods.**_

Three Noble Brothers and their Sister,  
they created the universe we know, and  
as a symbol of their power, they created  
the first world, Hyrule... 

After their work in starting this realm  
was done, they took upon themselves a  
vow, to never interfere with the progress  
of the universe unless they themselves  
became threatened, and left to let the  
realm evolve on its own. 

Before they vanished from the universe,  
the four created a symbol of their power,  
an all powerful object of balance, which  
they named the TryForce. Bound with  
Wisdom, Courage, and Power, the three  
Virtues were united by the power of  
the fourth, the Virtue of Love. 

The TryForce was hidden away to wait  
for one who had all four virtues in their  
heart, but none with true balance came  
into life. The legends of the powerful  
symbol became the object of greedy beings,  
and blood was spilled in the quest to find it... 

The night was silent, people sleeping safely in their homes, guarded with the knowledge that their towns were protected by the forces of the land. Tylon was a powerful country of Hyrule, being the central land and capital of the Trindon continent.  
It was also home country of the Hyrulian royal family, the Clan that ruled the entire world from this place, over the lords and kingdoms of the planet. The people all over would trade the Clan of Alahyde for no other dynasty, for no other was as compassionate and caring of the people as they were.  
Those that lived outside the laws of the world, however, were a different matter altogether. 

The screams of terror were ended sharply as their owner was slain, a slash to the throat severing the woman's vocal cords. Her killer merely glanced around, grabbed the box of rubies on a dresser, and walked out to join his fellows, saying not a word through the entire event.  
He and three others arrived to where a fifth man waited, one that was noticeably taller than the four that stood before him. The first man nodded and handed him the box, the leader looking inside, then smiling. "You have earned your spoils," he muttered, tossing the box back to the man. "I have bigger plans now. But that doesn't mean we can't have fun getting to my goal."  
"That sounds like our boss," one of the other men cracked with a grin. "We're less than a month's travel to Death Mountain, are you sure that what you're looking for is there?"  
Nodding, the leader turned to look towards the tall mountains in the distance. "Very sure, my source of information is never wrong." 

Racing through the halls of a huge temple, a man in shining red armor hurried down the corridors, a distressed expression on his face. His red hair bounced from his pace while his deep red eyes had a look of horror in them.  
"Alahyde!" he called, bursting into a large room that overlooked an energy storm, pillars floating in the air without support on the ground. "Alahyde, We've got a major problem on Hyrule!"  
The man standing into the room, his hair and eyes shining green like emeralds, turned calmly to the red head, nodding slightly. "I know, Harkanian. It's Ganondorf, he's found how to unlock the gates of the Sacred Realm."  
"Yes, he's found the way, and he'll claim the TryForce and become a near God if he's not stopped!"  
"We cannot interfere," Alahyde replied to his companion. "Unless it threats even Us, that is the vow We took when We created Hyrule and the universe it exists in. That is the law We placed on Ourselves, and it is the law We must follow."  
"Dragmire obviously has not followed any of Our laws," Harkanian snapped in reply. "He has to be the one who told Ganondorf how to open the Gates, I have no doubt now that the exiled Gerudo is indeed who he claims!"  
Alahyde sighed as he looked out at the storm of energy that raged outside the temple. "Dragmire has certainly had a hand in this, but as to his connections to Ganondorf, We must not assume anything unless it is proven, that is Our way."  
Harkanian sighed and lowered his head, then looked up towards the other man. "We're the Gods, Alahyde, and all on Hyrule know Us. We'll obviously be Ganondorf's first targets once he gets the TryForce, it's obvious he is a threat to Us."  
"We must wait till he proves so," Alahyde stated as he turned around again. "You think I don't know what You do, Brother? That Ganondorf wishes to usurp and replace Us? I know this as well as You and Latyra do, but until that mortal proves a real threat, We can do _nothing_, that is the law We agreed to."  
Looking back to watch the storm, Alahyde sighed again. "These are times that I wish Our Sister had not left, She was indeed the wiser between Us two."  
"She was the more compassioned," Harkanian added. "But yes, We need Her in these times. She felt best to leave and create other realms though. Perhaps She will one day return, and I hope it will be soon. But in the matters concerning Ganondorf-"  
"Enough of it for now," Alahyde ordered calmly, turning and walking away. "You are headstrong and ready for battle always, that is Your only fault, Brother. We will wait for Latyra to return to the temple, until then, We do nothing." 

The tall man with red hair walked into a tent, smiling as he saw that he had a visitor, one he was indeed expecting. "Nice to see you again, after these few years since our last meeting."  
"I'm sure you are," the black haired visitor replied as he smirked slightly. "You do know the plan. You open the Gate and-"  
"And claim what rightfully belongs to my lineage." Chuckling, the red haired man sat down in a chair. "I know my task well, I've only been planning it for the last six years."  
The man nodded as he continued to stand in the corner. "I have something for you though, something to insure that My...Brothers do not interfere. Once you gain the TryForce, you'll be the largest threat possible to both them, and everything else."  
Pulling a handle from within his cloaks, the man produced a large ornate, yet evil looking scythe, holding it out to his host. "It is the one weapon that can kill a God of Virtue, I trust you will put it to good use, Ganondorf?"  
Smiling, the red-haired man nodded and accepted the weapon, testing its balance and finding that it handled well enough. "Yes, indeed I do..." He gave a soft laugh as he turned away from his companion, then cocked his head back towards the other man. "You have a way for me to enter their realm, do you not?"  
"In the plains of Rivedale," the black haired man replied. "There will be a weakening of the barriers, I expect you to use that and enter from there. Once you have entered their Realm, you will be free to kill them. I advise you leave not even one of those three alive, or they will retaliate eventually."  
Ganondorf nodded as he turned, only to find his visitor gone without a trace. He chuckled as he shook his head, then turned back to his plans. "So like you."  
Leaving his tent, the man looked out at the encampment, nodding to a blue skinned man with black hair and red eyes. "Round up everyone, we make way to Rivedale."  
"As you command."  
Smirking, Ganondorf continued. "Oh, and Agahnim, take a group of your Drow out to the Androga area, there's a ranch there if memory serves correct. Be so kind as to, 'relieve' them of their horses. If the owners and ranch hands try to stop you, kill them."  
Bowing, the man chuckled softly. "It will be done, sire. Shall we leave now?"  
Ganondorf nodded as he made his way to a large jet black stallion and mounted the animal. "Yes, the sooner, the better. Be sure and hurry, I want my best to be there were we reach Rivedale." 

"Harkin! Harkin, time to come in!"  
A small brunette Hylian boy sighed as he closed his book and ran from his spot under a tree to where his father waited in the doorway of their home. "Alright."  
"Reading again?" the man cracked with a smile as his young son walked in the door. "You're going to kill your eyes reading in such low light. Come on, time to get to bed."  
With a groan, the boy headed to his room and set his book on a wooden desk before pulling his shirt off and climbing into bed. He was not anxious to go to sleep, having become rather engrossed with his book, but rules were rules.  
"Arewon, you're tense as a rock."  
The older Hylian man, Arewon, sighed as he looked out at the night, his eyes keeping watch. "I have good reason, Deline. The Ulgranda have been spotted in the area. They come near here, they'll be after the horses."  
"The Gerudo do the same," his wife, Deline, stated. "You've never worried about them."  
"The Gerudo aren't killers," Arewon replied. "And the Gerudo leave some payment in exchange, there's a reason they are protected by the law of the Gods, just as we are. I worry of the Ulgranda though. Their leader supposedly killed a Latyra clansman, and if that's true, he won't hesitate to have another of the Clans killed again."  
With a sigh, Deline walked to her husband's side. "Few people know that we live out here, let alone that we're of direct Tridelan blood. It shouldn't be anything to worry about."  
Arewon merely kept watch while his wife went to bed, his eyes narrowed in alert. For at least two hours, he stood there, his awareness ebbing, but his resolve not. They were out there, he knew it. They were going to strike his home, the winds in the night were nothing but signs of that.  
Something caught the attention of his elongated ears, causing Arewon to cock his head towards the darkness outside the ranch gates. Eyes narrow, he could make out the shapes of several forms; he had been right.  
"Grath! Jareth! We got thieves! Get your asses up!"  
As the thunder of heavy hoofs raced towards the ranch, Arewon quickly pulled out a sword and crossbow from a cupboard while the two ranch hands raced out to join him. The three readied for battle, but their vigilance was in vain; streaks of light cut out from the darkness and slammed thought both men standing at Arewon's side. The Hylian cocked and fired his own crossbow, only to gasped when the arrow was caught be the very target he had fired at.  
"That's at least three fools who will die tonight," stated the cold and heartless voice. Its owner stepped forward into the moonlight to reveal his pale blue skin and jet black hair. Arewon's eyes narrowed while he drew his sword, knowing very well what this thief was.  
"Why do Drow have to steal from a simple farm?" he spat in anger. "Are things in the Underdark so bad that your own demonic breeds can't progenerate anymore?!"  
"Our stallions are ill met to the conditions of your accursed sun," the Drow replied with a smile. He drew his own sword, while signaling for his men to hold back. "Besides, lord _ul_ Dragmire wishes the finest of this land. Considering your bloodline, I'd think you would be the best to obtain from, Chosen of Tridela."  
Arewon's eyes went wide from shock. The Drow knew exactly who he and his family were, there was no denying it now. That meant these Drow had very little to no intention of letting him or his family live. "Leave my family out of this!" he called in slim hope. "You've killed my workers, all that's left here is my wife and child! If you must kill me, at least spare them!"  
"I'm afraid negotiation, Tridelan, is out of the question now." The lead Drow chuckled, his sword glowing in the shadows as he stepped towards Arewon. "Your ancestors are the reason we were outcast from the surface, and as direct descent of the Drow royalty, I take it personal. It's time for vengeance."  
There was no way of escape now, Arewon knew it. However, if he could fall back quick enough and get his son and wife out...  
"Lord Agahnim, we caught the woman."  
"No!"  
With a grin, Agahnim looked back at his lieutenant. "Excellent. And the boy?"  
"He escaped towards the Kokiri Forests," the lower Drow replied apologetically. "I offer my regrets of failure."  
Agahnim frowned, then looked back at Arewon. "It seems," he stated with a drawl. "That part of your request will be granted for the time being. A boy not even of age is no great concern to us."  
"What about the woman and him?"  
"Kill them both," the Drow ordered, laughing when Arewon raced forward to strike. With a fluid spin, Agahnim parried the man's sword, then sunk his own deep into Arewon's chest, turning at Deline's scream to fling a bolt at her and strike the woman down dead. He took only a moment to look at the scene, then nodded to his men. "Get the horses," came the snappy command. "We'll not waste time with the boy, let the forest eat him."  
The group quickly gathered what horses they could, only stopping to kill off the remaining ranch hands before leaving. They didn't even bother to make a second search for the child, but if they had, they would have found he had been watching everything with horrified eyes.  
In an instant, he raced into the nearby forest, not knowing what he would find. All he hoped for was a quick end to his pain. 

"Lord Ganondorf!"  
The thief lord looked back as a rider reached him. "What is it?" he said, turning to face the direction of the faintly rising sun. "It's almost time."  
"Agahnim has returned from his task," the messenger replied, pointing towards the growing group of cloaked and hooded Drow. Ganondorf sighed as he noticed his own horse start to protest being in the faint light of the sun.  
"Get Reaver under cover, he's going to get burned out here," he ordered, leaving his minion to lead the Drow horse off to shelter while Agahnim rode over, his hood drawn tightly over his face while black gloves covered his hands. Ganondorf smiled as his lieutenant dismounted and clapped the Drow on the back. "Good work, we should have enough mounts for the day while your own breeds rest in the underground. How went the raid?"  
"They were Tridelans," Agahnim stated matter-of-factly. "A man and a woman, plus Hyrulian workers. We killed all but the child, he-"  
"You left a Clan child alive?" Ganondorf spun sharply to face the Drow, his eyes narrowed while his brows curled angrily. "I would have thought for someone with an ancestral oath to slaughter Tridela's Clan when possible, you would have hunted him down like he was a pack animal."  
Agahnim merely waved his hand as if to dismiss his shortcoming. "He's not even of age, I've been keeping eyes on the Clans. The boy ran into the Kokiri Forests, so even if he lived past the night, the creatures there will surely eat him alive. In any case, I felt best to get here to Rivedale as you had wished."  
Ganondorf felt as if he were going to beret his companion, but discarded the notion. Agahnim was right, the Kokiri Forests were notorious for the deaths that happened there. The boy had all but committed suicide by going into them. "There's only a few minutes before the Barriers between our plane and that of the Gods weakens. We've already set the rift gates for then, and I've got my own surprise for those fools."  
"Our 'mysterious' benefactor has provided their gift?"  
Ganondorf glanced back at Agahnim, then smiled. "You know full well who he is, don't you?"  
"It's hard to not conclude it so with the power you hold, the name you were given, and the knowledge that he has handed you." Agahnim sighed, then hissed as the sun rose over the mountains. He pulled a cloth mask across his face while pushing what looked like goggles over his eyes. "Damn that sun," he muttered harshly. "Did the Gods have to make it so big and so damaging to our kind? Life in the underworld is hard enough."  
"They felt it should be a monument to the potential of this realm," Ganondorf replied as he slipped his new scythe out from his cloaks. "Just as the moons bestow power to beings of the night, so does the sun take it away. That should change once I rule the celestial hierarchy."  
As the rays of the sun crawled down over the mountains and over the plains of Rivedale, a crackling ripple was revealed before the band of thieves. Ganondorf smiled in response, raised his scythe, and cut down hard to tear open a rip in the very fabric of reality. Energy lashed out from the rift, revealing the plasmic storm that lay beyond the reality of Hyrule.  
With his scythe in hand, Ganondorf stepped through the rip, his feet touching the ethereal stone floors of the temple within this dimension. Energy storms raged outside the walls of the construct, but that didn't matter to him as he strode down the halls towards a massive pair of doors. He didn't have much time as it was to do his task, so every second counted.  
With a mighty _crack_, the doors were blown open. The three occupants of the chamber spun in shock to see Ganondorf enter with a malicious smile on his face. None of them had even thought to expect such an invasion.  
"Damnit, I told you he would be trouble!"  
"Now is not the time, Harkanian!"  
With a laugh, Ganondorf drew his scythe and stepped towards the Gods. His eyes seemed to glow with fire, one that Alahyde knew all too well. "It seems," he spat in amusement. "That your realm is not as safe as you thought, nor are your lives. I hold in my hand a weapon that will slay even you Gods! Your time is over, fools!"  
"How dare you set foot in Our world!" the blue haired of the three snapped while drawing a blade from his side. Even as he raced at the bandit king, Ganondorf slashed in an instant, causing the God known as Latyra to scream and explode apart into death. Alahyde and Harkanian stared in utter horror; no weapon forged by mortals could even hurt a God, there was no doubt now who indeed Ganondorf was!  
"Any lack of faith in my birthright now, _uncles?_"  
Harkanian snarled and summon out an massive ornate red sword, one different from his brother's, but powerful still without a doubt. He ran at the intruder even as Alahyde called for him to stop, and like Latyra, was struck down by Ganondorf's own blade, torn apart by the unholy and demonic energies bestowed in the scythe.  
Ganondorf smiled and locked his attention on the one remaining God of Virtue. "Well, first fell Courage," he chuckled, the blade of his scythe glittering with black energy. "And then, my favorite _virtue_, Power." His own eyes flashed with deep red light. "What say we finish up the set and take Wisdom as well, Uncle? You can't fight me, so you might as well take death like a God and just give up."  
"Despite what your Father thinks," Alahyde spat while backing away. "I do indeed plan ahead, and I do in fact have My own...what would He call it...My own 'trump card'. The vengeance of all Creation will befall you, Ganondorf _ul_ Dragmire, and it will be by my design!"  
Ganondorf only mocked the God's words by laughing, then ran forward with his scythe, surprised when Alahyde disapperated into nothing. "What?!" the Ulgranda leader roared in anger. "No! Damnit, no, how could he have done that?!" Ganondorf screamed his fury, then turned to face the energy storms that raged outside. Two streaks of light cascaded about in the storms, as if lacking coordination to find a way to revive their true forms.  
"At least," he muttered through clenched teeth, "those two cannot interfere. I have more important matters to attend to!"  
With a violent turn, Ganondorf stormed back through the temple and passed through the rift just as it began to collapse. In his fury, he had failed to notice that the two cascading energies escaped the storms and fled their way to the realm of the mortal plane. He would have cared little though once he returned to his band.  
"I take it that the Gods are no more," Agahnim asked through his mask, then gestured to the violent storm clouds that even now began to block out the sun. Thunder cracked through the air while lightning split the sky with every flash. The Drow began to unmask themselves once the sun was blotted out, but Ganondorf's response did not make their moods of victory complete.  
"Alahyde escaped," Ganondorf stated angrily. "That bastard, he had expected me to do this. He claims he has his own back-up plan, and while it may be just a bluff..."  
"A God's threat is not to be taken lightly," Agahnim whispered uneasily. He spoke from long memories of his race, of why they were forced to shun the light of their sun. "He will not rest for long now, you've proven you're more than a threat to the hierarchy of the Celestines."  
With a nod, Ganondorf mounted his horse and looked out towards the massive mountain range in the distance. There was only one other thing to do now, and once it was done, not even Alahyde could stop him. He tilted his head back slightly to find that his men were ready, and swept his arm forward. "On to Death Mountain!" 

To Be Continued... 


	2. The Sword Magnus

Notes As I realized some things, such as going by the Gods on LTTP as opposed to Goddesses from OoT, I figured, chapter 2 Author Notes. Nayru, Din, and Farore are not the creators, they are the Goddesses of the Elements, and being that, in this universe, they were chosen from the Hylians to be goddesses, do not yet exist. My LoZ series, still in progress, mind you, tells the relationships of the many Gods of Creation. The top God, of which, is Ieyadon, who IS the universe. There are more than three gods in this Zeldaverse, and I think that I did make it clear that this is not the games, manga, or DiC Toons Zelda universe. The fact that I noted Link and Zelda aren't even born for another ten thousand years should have been a hint.  
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Storms began to rage all over Hyrule with the death of Harkanian and Latyra, the Gods of Power and Courage. Everyone knew that a dark omen was being foretold when the sun was suddenly blocked out by the clouds and the inhabitants of the underground began to crawl out to the surface.  
None of that mattered though, to a single boy who had survived his escape into the deadly Kokiri woods and collapsed in the entrance to a temple. All he wanted to do was just die and let go of the suffering he had endured. His parents murdered before his eyes, yet he had somehow been able to escape.  
The child lay there in the doorway of the strange temple. He began to wonder who would have built such a place deep within the most deadly forest of Tylon. Certainly no one would dare go this far, so why place a temple here?  
It was then that he heard a soft voice calling him, beckoning him to enter deeper. Somehow, despite his pain, he followed the voice, racing through the temple's twists and turns as if it was natural instinct. Something was calling to him, for him, something that he could not refuse.  
"Hello?" he called, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. As he turned into a chamber, it suddenly flared with light, the boy blinded for a moment before he could see. Walls lined with golden runes and floor tiles made of gems, the room was almost as if a royal throne chamber, save that instead of a throne, a pedestal stood at the end of the chamber with a silver bladed sword thrust into it.  
The boy slowly wandered to the monument, looking at the blade with wonder and a gleam in his eyes. So entranced he was that he didn't notice when a man with green streaked golden hair stepped in through the doorway with a smile on his face.  
"Grand, isn't it, Harkin of the Tridelans?"  
The boy turned in shock to see the glowing man behind him. With wide eyes of realization who this being was, he quickly fell to his knees in reverence. "My lord Alahyde...forgive me for-"  
"It is I who must ask your forgiveness," the God replied softly. "For I must place a burden upon you that should not be carried by one so young, but time and circumstances give Me no choice." He knelt down and gently raised Harkin's head to meet the boy's eyes. "You worship Me as a God, and perhaps I am a great being, but I treat you and your kind as My equals. Merely because I am a higher being does not mean that I let Myself believe I am superior."  
His soft smile not failing, Alahyde stood up and walked to the sword, then looked at Harkin while the boy stood. His eyes seemed to say that indeed, he felt he was not above those he created, but instead serving their well being. "This Sword was forged by Myself and My two Brothers and Our Sister. Before the one We call Ieyadon become this realm and spread out as the universe, He bestowed a gift to His children, who are the Gods. To Harkanian, he gave the binding power of creation of worlds. To Latyra, the force of brave new life. To Me, He bestowed a responsibility; the power to bestow this Sword to one of My choosing."  
"What about..." Harkin paused. His beliefs forced him to not ask such questions. "I'm sorry."  
With a soft nod, Alahyde continued. "Tridela? She was granted a power like Mine...but since She was indeed the unifying of Us four, Her gift was that one She chose would be the Chosen One of this realm, and to that being, the Master Sword would shine as if made from the essence of Creation. It will not do so for My chosen, for it is not them it is truly destine for.  
"But My Magnus would wield it when they are needed, until the Chosen One is born and of age."  
He stepped down from the monument and held his hand out to Harkin with a kind look in his eyes. "Harkin, you are of Tridela's Chosen Clan, and I say this now; you are he who will father the blood who shall one day birth the Chosen One. And you are also My Sword Magnus. You must take up the Master Sword in this dark hour."  
Harkin gulped as his felt his knees go weak. True, he was being given a grand task by the Gods, but, he was just a child, not even of age yet. "I, beg your forgiveness, but I'm only twelve, I'm just...how can I face this evil that has forced the Master Sword to be needed?"  
Alahyde sighed, then waved his hand to cause an image to appear, one of Ganondorf and his men scaling the heights of a massive mountain. "The leader of the Ulgranda is seeking to gain the TryForce. Before he killed My Brothers, Ganondorf revealed that he is indeed the half-mortal son of our fallen Brother, the dark God Dragmire." With the first angry look his face had expressed since he had escaped his home, Alahyde continued. "The only thing that can fight the power of the TryForce once obtained is the Master Sword, and only one of an innocent soul can be chosen to bear it as the Sword Magnus.  
"You came to the Temple of Light here in the forests," he stated as he looked back to Harkin. "Your hearts are pure, and you are of the Clan chosen by Tridela. I will not force this duty upon you, Harkin, but you are the only one who can bear the Master Sword. Once My choice is made, I cannot give it to another. Even Gods have powers that are ir-reversable."  
Harkin pondered his choice. One the one hand, this was his God asking him to take on a sacred duty, something any Hylian would gladly die to be given...but he was only a child, what could he do against a God-blooded thief king?  
"You will have aid," the God of Wisdom added, quite aware of Harkin's thoughts. "You will not face your task alone, but only you alone will be able to wield this Sword. If you feel you cannot take on this duty, I will understand."  
The boy looked at the Sword, then at Alahyde. "I'll do it," he whispered. "If you say that I'm the only one who can bear the Master Sword against Ganondorf's forces, then that can't be pushed away. I'll carry the Sword."  
Eyes filled with pride, yet at the same time a great sadness, Alahyde stepped down from the monolith and nodded to the boy. "Then draw the Sword, but know that once you have taken it, you cannot turn away from your choice."  
"I know." Harkin breathed deeply and stepped up to the embedded blade. He gripped the hilt, took one last deep breath, then pulled up hard. Light burst out from where the Master Sword was buried in the pedestal, almost blinding Harkin, but he continued to draw out the blade.  
"I'm truly sorry," Alahyde whispered as he began to vanish. "You should not have to bear this responsibility, but there is no other way. I hope you can forgive me for all this." 

Light burst out of every doorway and window in the temple as the release of the Master Sword became known. Flaring out of the entrance to the temple, light flowed out and into the sky like a beacon. No one, unless they had no sight, could ignore it, a glowing pillar reaching towards the heavens.  
Even as far as Death Mountain, the towering pillar could be seen clearly. The Ulgranda stopped in their climb and saw the shaft of silver stretching high into the clouds. None but two knew what it meant, but all felt that something had happened.  
"He's made His choice of a champion."  
Ganondorf frowned, knowing that Agahnim was right. "Alahyde has chosen his Sword Magnus. Someone has drawn the Master Sword from its sleep." He turned back to the path he had been told to follow. "We have to hurry, before my dear uncle decides to throw out some more tricks from his robes."  
The band resumed their course despite the pillar of light coming from far in the distance. It wasn't long before Ganondorf led them to a formation of rocks in the shape of a triangle. He grinned and dismounted his horse, nodding to Agahnim and stepping towards the formation. "Sunset by the triad stones," he remarked, looking to see what light could pierce the massive cloud cover dying away as the sun set. The faint wisps of a rift in the fabric of reality revealed themselves, widening as the dying sunlight touched them and transformed into a massive gateway.  
Golden light poured out of the rift, Ganondorf looking back at his band, then glanced to Agahnim. "Things may get rough with those less than totally loyal," he whispered. "Make sure they do not attempt to steal my goal. If they do, kill them."  
"Understood," the Drow replied, clenching the hilt of his sword as he followed Ganondorf into the gateway. In an instant, he felt as if his body was on fire when he stepped through the rift. Agahnim fell down in pain, Ganondorf turning to see his lieutenant letting out smoke.  
"What's wrong?!"  
"This place..." The Drow fought to speak, his pain greater than he knew from even the burning rays of Hyrule's sun. "It's worse than sunlight to me, I can't block it!"  
Ganondorf looked around, then up to see than this place was nothing like Hyrule; the sky shined golden instead of blue, the waters a metallic silver, and the very earth itself was like gold. This was a place of the Gods, it was no wonder that Agahnim was burned to even set foot here. He helped the Drow back through the rift, then looked to his men.  
"Do not follow me," he ordered, eyes narrowed in seriousness. "You see what it has done to the royalty of the Drow. Only I can set foot in this realm beyond the gate." He turned and went back through, ears tuned incase some of his men decided to disobey. When he was satisfied that he was alone, the man continued into this golden land, following the shining gold "sun" that rested upon some kind of pyramid. It took what seemed to him like days of travel, but in time, he arrived at the steps of the pyramid.  
Ganondorf smiled as he walked up the flights of stairs, eyes gleaming with a black light. He came upon the dais that topped the monument, and what welcomed his eyes was a shining three piece triangle, golden like pure essence.  
"At last," he whispered, reaching out for the object. "After years of waiting, the power of the Gods is mine...the TryForce is _mine!_"  
Just as he was about to touch the golden object, he turned to see a group of his men racing up the steps. The deep blue blood on their hands was enough to tell the story; they had betrayed him! "Fools!" he bellowed, drawing his scythe and slamming the staff end onto the dais. "I told you not to come here, and so you betrayed my orders!"  
"You told us that only you could walk in this land," one of the thieves snapped. His sword was at the ready, and the look in his eyes told of the thirst for more blood. "Seems only the Drow can't set foot here, but the rest of us are just fine. Oh, and we put Agahnim out of his misery."  
Ganondorf's eyes went sharp as a snake's. These fools had killed the Drow prince! Had they no idea what consequences awaited them if he spared their miserable lives? That they would be dealt a pain worse than death? No, they wanted what he had been seeking almost all his adult life, to take what was his and claim it as their own.  
There was room for only one master of the TryForce.  
"So you thought to let me join him?" The Gerudo-born thief lord growled in anger. "Utter stupidity. Do you not know my birthright, the meaning of my very name?! I am Ganondorf, God-blood son of the Dark God Dragmire!" Fear in their eyes now, good. Let them know who they dealt with. It would make his victory all that more enjoyable. "Meet your deaths!"  
With a thrust of his hand, Ganondorf assaulted his former band with black lightning, the bolts tearing through the leaders of the group and dropping them dead. As the remains of the group tried to figure out a course of action, Ganondorf rushed down and dismembered them brutally with his own bare hands. There was no question who was superior then; the Gerudo man stood alone among the corpses that were once his men. Who needed the traitorous scum anyway? Once the TryForce was his, he would have an entire universe to draw from.  
Ganondorf walked back to the TryForce, and, this time with hands stained in blood, took hold of the sacred object. "Now, it's mine!"  
"_**If thou has dream or deepest desire,**_" echoed a quartette of soft female voices. "_**Wish for it...**_"  
Ganondorf laughed as the golden light of the TryForce flared out and became deep red. His wish was more than the Gods could have ever prepared for. "I wish," he hissed, the grin on his face wide and cruel. "I _command..._for eternal power, and rule, over the cosmos!" 

A massive shockwave billowed out violently from the rift on Death Mountain, sweeping out to race over all Hyrule. The skies cracked with lightning, the lakes boiling and a deep red mist descended from the mountain to the castle in the central continent. The Drow that had been killed by Ganondorf's former band suddenly revived, but they all were like reanimated mindless corpses, all save one.  
Agahnim, his skin burnt beyond healing, stood and found himself being restored by the feeling of death around him. His wounds, once pouring out blue blood, now were filled by a glowing green fluid, one he knew.  
"Necroplasm?" he whispered in confusion, then realized what had happened, and how he was back. "I'm a phantom..."  
"Only half dead," came a welcome voice. Agahnim turned, then bowed to his master. "I've managed to restore some life into you," the Gerudo continued, then gestured for his lieutenant to stand. "Sadly, even the dead cannot be fully revived. It will be enough though."  
Agahnim nodded and took his position at Ganondorf's side. "I thank you, sir. I'm sorry though, that I failed in keeping the men from following you."  
"You did what you could in your condition," Ganondorf replied. "No apology needed. Now, we storm Hyrule Castle. Those pitiful Hylians should fall easily enough now." 

The Kokiri forests seemed to be clearer now than they had been before. The shadows that had once permented the woods had now lifted, letting Harkin see what had not been seen before in the forest; a grand tree that towered towards the sky, its branches full of leaves. It almost looked like a face was on its trunk, but that was probably just the light playing tricks on his eyes.  
"_Art thou the child, Harkin of the Chosen Blood?_"  
He jumped in fright. Harkin looked at the tree again, this time sure that the face wasn't just some optical illusion; it had spoke to him! "I'm Harkin...I'm of the clan Tridelan, those beloved by the Goddess."  
"_Then thou art the one I have waited so long for. I am the great Deku Tree, father of the Kokiri forests and all within it. It was by mine protection that thou was under before thou found the Temple of Light._" The tree's face seemed to smile, a great feat for such a stonic being. "_My lord Alahyde hath informed me of thy task. The creatures of these woods will aid thee in finding those chosen by fate to restore the Balance._"  
"The Balance?" Harkin asked in confusion. Truth of the matter, he had never heard such a reference before in the stories of the Gods. He had never known there was a Fallen God until Alahyde himself had told of the Dark Brother Dragmire. "What's the Balance?"  
The tree smiled and continued. "_The Balance is that which keeps the forces of this universe in harmony. Four Virtues are what bind the unity of creation; Power, Courage, Wisdom and Love, the binding Force. When one of these grows too great, the Balance is upset. It is then that something must restore the Balance._"  
"The Sword Magnus?"  
The tree's face motioned what seemed to be a nod. "_Indeed, young one. Thou art the one chosen to restore the Balance. There are others as well; one of a soul twice born, a noble birthed from light and the shadow...thou must find them._"  
"But how will I know who they are?"  
"_You will know, young one,_" the tree answered softly. "_You will know._" 

As the dark clouds blotted out the sun, a young Hylian man turned to the direction of Death Mountain. The evil scent in the air was from those accursed mountains, the was no doubt about it, but what caused this darkness, that he did not know.  
Not as of yet at least.  
"The Elders will want word of this," he whispered, then ran and leapt onto the back of his horse, racing off into the forest. His eyes kept watch for any sign of danger; the Kokiri forests were notorious of its wild inhabitants, if not tales of childlike forest people. It was, at least, a shortcut back to Isagale, where some of the Latyra clan leaders were living for the time.  
There was also a large farm nearby as well, or had been. The Ulgranda had taken that place out mere nights ago, no survivors remaining, not even ranch hands. The man sighed, then gasped when his horse reared in halt. "Whoa!" he cried, calming his steed, then seeing the reason she had stopped; a young boy stood in fright on the path, backing away slowly and carrying a shining sword in his hand. "You alright?"  
The boy merely nodded. This was probably going take a bit of time. "You shouldn't be in these woods," the man stated, his glance going towards the shadows of the trees. "People tend to die in these woods, I'm surprised to see you in here."  
"Th-the Deku Tree said I'm under his protection," the boy stuttered, eyes wide with a fading fright. "The animals here won't harm me."  
_The Deku Tree?_ the older man thought in shock. _I thought it was only a myth like those forest this boy be one of them? He doesn't look any older than ten or eleven, how could he have survived here otherwise?_ "What's your name?" he asked.  
"Harkin," the boy replied. The sword in his hands flashed, yet no light shone down to cause reflection. "Harkin Tridelan. I lived at the Alakahde Ranch not far from here, until the Ulgranda..."  
"You're a direct member of the Clan Tridelan?" Now the man had worry. If this boy really was a full blood Tridelan, and had lived at the destroyed farm, that met the Sacred Law of Hyrule had been broken; someone had knowingly and willingly murdered a Clansman in cold blood. "Not a distaff, but full family Tridelan?"  
The boy's nod only confirmed his fear; the Law had been broken. The man narrowed his eyes, then saw the sword in the boy's hands. "Where did you get that blade? There's nothing in these forests except for ruins."  
"The Temple of Light," Harkin replied, and he turned his head in the direction of the forest ruins. "Alahyde appeared to me, he chose me to carry the Master Sword."  
_By the Gods!_ "You, are the Sword Magnus?!" The man couldn't believe what he was hearing. This boy was the sacred protector of Hyrule? This had to be a joke! Upon closely inspecting the sword, however, the man could not deny the truth; this was the Master Sword, which he had seen himself when he had gone to the temple ruins. "My name is Regalas," he finally said after moments of silence. "Regalas Veradal _dai_ Latyra. If you're the Sword Magnus, the Elders will want to know about this. Get on my horse, we've got to get you to Isagale."  
Harkin nodded and allowed Regalas to help him up onto the horse. The Master Sword was slipped into an unused saddle sheath, and the two were off, racing through the forest and exiting on a path to Isagale. 

Ganondorf narrowed his eyes as he looked out at the graveyard. Tombs littered the area, some ancient, others new. Raising a new army would be no problem now, however. He had the dead to use in his first invasion. "Up!" he barked loudly. For a moment, nothing but the sharp crack of thunder was heard. Then, a hand clawed up from the ground, followed by more as the dead corpses rose up from their sleep. Ganondorf cracked a smile as the army of undead turned and bowed to him.  
"Easy enough," her remarked, then turned to Agahnim. "I see you've been recovering. Feel up to exploring what was the Sacred Realm?"  
Agahnim nodded. With the TryForce in the hold of his master, Agahnim could now walk into the Golden Realm and not be harmed. It was a relief to him, making his tasks much more bearable. "When you are ready."  
Ganondorf smiled to his lieutenant. It wouldn't be long now before he would begin his storm upon this world, but that was only the start of things. Once Tylon fell, the other kingdoms were sure to fall, and it would not end there. No, once all of Hyrule was under his control, the shadows of his reign would spread out into the cosmos. Everything would be his to command, to rule, and at whim, to destroy.  
He forced open a rift into what had been the golden Sacred Realm, stepping through the gate and smiling when a black shadow surged out from his footsteps, quickly swarming forward and racing to infect everything. "It's safe for you now," he called. Agahnim nodded and stepped through into the darkening world, the golden skies turning crimson red. "This realm shall be my throne," Ganondorf continued, looking around as his power surged through the Sacred Realm. "A realm of Evil, a monument to my Father. He indeed will be pleased with this."  
Agahnim nodded, then tilted his head. Someone was approaching, not of their world, but of this one. "It seems," he muttered while turning to face the new arrivals, "that the Sacred Realm indeed has inhabitants."  
"Are you the one who has claimed the TryForce?" one asked, looking at Ganondorf. His eyes were feral like a beast's, and it seemed his own form was being twisted just as primally.  
"I am." Ganondorf narrowed his eyes as he looked at the group of now three. "Why do you seek me?"  
The creature, hardly even still resembling a Hylian, Drow, or even Gerudo, bowed low, then looked up at the Gerudo man. "You are now master to us all in the Sacred Realm. We do as you command, be it for Light or Darkness."  
Ganondorf smiled and looked to Agahnim. "Your service is noted," he stated, then gazed out towards the pyramid. It was easy now, with the power of the Gods in his hands, to cause it to reshape into a golden tower. "Well, I indeed am unbound in power." His teeth flashed, and then he turned to the creatures that had pledge service to him. "This realm is mine, and shall be the first of worlds that I command. It is not the Realm of Light, but now the Realm of Darkness, the Dark World! All that come here shall fall into my service, willing or not, for before I am done, all the cosmos shall be my empire! Come, we have work to do!" 

As lightning crackled in the sky, Regalas and his young passenger raced into the lands that were Isagale. Some of the people that were outside bothered to turned and see the two going by, but it wasn't until they came to a large fortress-like building that Regalas brought his horse to a halt.  
He slid off, helping Harkin down, then racing into the building, shoving open doors and ignoring bewildered guards all while the boy tried to keep up, carrying the Master Sword. As they came to the end of a long hall way, Regalas flung open the doors, causing everyone inside the chamber to turn towards him in surprise. "My lords!"  
"Regalas, why do you intrude now during this meeting of the council?!"  
The man bowed in apology. "Your forgiveness, but this matter is urgent, it concerns the darkening of our world that I have no doubt you've all seen by now." He turned back to Harkin and nodded for him to step forward. "Elders of the Clan, we are in a dark hour, and the boy is evidence of it."  
One of the council members narrowed his eyes at Harkin, looking at his every feature. "How," he asked with knit brows, "does this child bear proof of a dark hour?"  
"Show them the Sword."  
Harkin blinked, took a deep breath, then stepped forward and set the Master Sword down before the council. The blade flashed before he moved away, leaving little doubt as to it was indeed the Sacred Blade.  
"The Master Sword forged by the Gods?!" one of the members of the council exclaimed in shock. "Who drew it, and why did this boy carry it to us?"  
"This boy is the one who drew the Sword," Regalas replied, noting the murmurs and whispers of disbelief that swept through the council. He had expected they wouldn't believe it, that a young boy not even of age was the one who pulled the weapon of the Gods from its slumber. "If you want proof, who else but the Sword Magnus appoint by Alahyde would even be able to touch the blade? I will challenge any of you to do so!"  
One of the men in the council snorted and walked down from his seat. "A child would not be our savior," he spat, reaching down and grasping the hilt of the Sword. Even as his fingers curled around the handle, he was sent flying back, slamming into the ground and gasping for air. The Sword, however, now stood erect in the ground, much like it had in the Temple of Light.  
"As I said," Regalas stated while stepping away from the Master Sword. "None but the Sword Magnus may touch the Master Sword, as we have been taught by the prophecies. Harkin, show them."  
The boy looked around at the room as everyone stared at him. Some laughed and remarked that he would merely be struck down as well, that the Gods had not been paying attention before when he brought it there. That remark caused his courage to rise, and he grasped the hilt of the Sword, then pulled it back out of the ground, shocking all but Regalas.  
"By Latyra," another of the council members gasped. "He is the Sword Magnus...but this boy, why him?"  
"His family line holds that answer," Regalas again answered, then turned to face Harkin. "He is from a farm in the Androga province, but despite his home, he's one of the Goddess' beloved. This boy is a Tridelan, pure-blood and chosen by Alahyde as our protector against the darkness that even now grows!"  
"Your name," came the order as a wizened man stepped down from the highest most seat. The reverence the others held for him made it clear that he was the head of the council. "I am Sahasrahla of the Clan Latyra, one of the few left in this area not distaffed of the Clan. Tell me, what is your name?"  
"Harkin," the boy whispered. His previous resolve was starting to fail him now, but a small voice told him to hold on to that spark of courage. "Harkin Tridelan, son of Arewon and Deline Tridelan."  
A smile formed on the old man's lips. "And how did you come about to bear the Sacred Blade, young Harkin?"  
"In the temple in the Kokiri forests."  
Again, that whisper of disbelief came. That this child could survive the notorious forest was beyond believing. Sahasrahla held up his hand to silence the whispers, then brought his attention back to Harkin. "How did you draw the Sword from its sleep?"  
Harkin gulped, now barely holding any courage left. "I followed a light to a chamber," he recounted, tightening his hold on the Sword in hopes of gaining some bravery from it. "In the room, I saw the Sword in a stone, and then Alahyde appeared to me, and said that he had chosen me as the Sword Magnus. He said I had the choice to accept or not, but that once I accepted, I could not give it up."  
"Even Gods cannot undo some powers," Sahasrahla mused, his words nearly echoing those Alahyde Himself had spoken. He turned to Regalas with worried eyes. "You found him in the Kokiri?"  
"Yes."  
Again, that flash of worry. "Then indeed dark times are upon us. For a Sword Magnus to be needed means only one thing." He turned and thrust out his hand, causing a great image of the TryForce to appear. "It has been claim by a dark soul. Someone has taken the TryForce from the Sacred Realm of Light., and proven themselves a threat to even the Gods. Tell me Harkin, did Latyra and Harkanian appear beside Alahyde?"  
"No." Harkin heard the worried whispers that came in response. "Alahyde said that They had been killed." This time, gasps of horror stopped him. He took a deep breath before continuing. "He said They had been killed by the leader of the Ulgranda, a man named Ganondorf."  
Again, the whispers, save that this time, they were of anger. Harkin knew that if what he had told them got this reaction, nothing would compare to that from what was left to say. "Alahyde also told me that Ganondorf is a God-blood, the son of the fallen Brother, Dragmire."  
"What?!" came the expected cry of horror. "The Dark God does exist?! That means there's not just a dark era, the end of all Hyrule is upon us!"  
"That's enough, Nagar!" Sahasrahla bellowed. He clenched his fist and forced the image of the TryForce to vanish in a burst of light, then turned to Harkin. "You bring us dark tidings, young one, but you, we cannot blame, nor can we blame Alahyde. This is the work of Dragmire, and it only confirms what I have long feared about Ganondorf _ul_ Dragmire. If he indeed has the TryForce, then little can stop him, save one thing."  
Harkin tightened his grip. "The Master Sword," he whispered, looking down at the weapon as it flashed in confirmation. "Alahyde said that only it could fight the power of the TryForce."  
Sahasrahla nodded, then raised his head when a messenger ran into the chamber, panting for breath while a look of horror was in his eyes. "What news do you bring?" he called.  
"An army!" the young man cried, terror trembling in his voice. "It's like nothing I've ever seen! Twisted beastmen, some never recorded in history. There's also walking dead, worse than re-deads or gibdos! They march as soldiers, and there are Drow among them!"  
Once more that cry of horror erupted from the council, until Sahasrahla called for silence in his booming voice. He turned to the messenger with concerned eyes. "How many could see?" he asked.  
"I could not keep track of them all," he replied with regret. "But at least an army of thousands, with most being the walking dead."  
"_Naz'gua,_" the elder whispered, his voice holding a tinge of fear in it. The utterance of the word caused a silence that even his own commands could not force. Regalas stared at Sahasrahla as if he had uttered blasphemy to the Gods. "Yes, the Black Tongue, Regalas. I will not offer apology, for it may yet be heard again in all Hyrule if we do not hurry!" He turned to Harkin and knelt down to hold eye level with the boy. "I fear that you are not ready for your ordained fate," he stated with sorrow. "However, you must still try as you can to aid us. Regalas will take you to the Castle of Hyrule, you must find Raura, he is the Sage of Time."  
"My duty it to stay here and protect you," Regalas stated. Sahasrahla slowly rose while the young man continued. "I have sworn it just as my father did."  
"You must take the boy and go," came the elder's order. "You can do nothing more here, Isagale is finished!" He held up his hand before Regalas could again protest. "The Clan leaders must be warned of Ganondorf's power. This boy is not yet ready for his destiny, and Alahyde knew it when he anointed him as the Magnus. He must be protected until he is ready to face Ganondorf."  
"But the council of Isagale-"  
Sahasrahla shook his head even as words of anger erupted from the council. "They cannot understand that it's hopeless to even think Isagale can be won, but we can delay this army. You must reach Raura and the Clan leaders. King Grevian knew this day was coming the moment we heard rumors that Ganondorf had killed a clansman years ago, he'll get the Knights of Hyrule massed to meet the threat, but you must go now!"  
Regalas opened his mouth to again object, then looked at Harkin. It was fate that he had found this young orphan, this boy who was the Sword Magnus. His duty should be to stay and fight, but it was his fate to stay with this child until he was ready for his destiny. He nodded to Sahasrahla, then held Harkin by the arm. "We have to go, now," he stated. Harkin nodded and followed as they ran for the chamber doors. Regalas stopped, took one last look to Sahasrahla, then continued running with Harkin to the courtyard.  
"Epona!" he called, the cream brown horse racing over at the call. Regalas helped Harkin up while the boy slipped the Master Sword back into the saddle sheath, then mounted his horse and spurred her into full run. Mere moments before they reached the gates, the walls came falling down, stone crashing to the earth as beastmen set foot into the heart of Isagale, teeth dripping with saliva, some with blood staining their bodies and fur.  
"Regalas..."  
"I know!" the man yelled, turning Epona around and racing towards the rear gate while the army of beastmen and undead came into the city. Archers and spear men raced to stop the army while Regalas spurred his steed on, only to find the rear gates shut.  
"_Ithka!_" he swore, using the ancient tongue of his ancestors. "The army of evil on one end, and a shut gate on the other! We're trapped here!"  
Harkin felt his head go light, a faint feeling pouring through him just before a blaze of light slammed down from the skies and tore down the walls. Regalas stared in shock, then looked up to see a hole in the red clouds in the sky, green light slowly fading, but it was enough to tell him that Alahyde was indeed watching. "Praise to the Gods," he whispered, then kicked Epona into full sprint. They raced away as the undead Drow reached the inner heart of the city, Regalas looking back to witness a bolt of lightning lash out from the robed figure of Sahasrahla that struck down a cluster of beastmen.  
He could hear the cries of the elder's spells, but in the end, Regalas knew that it was all so that he and Harkin could escape and warn the royal family. "Harkanian, God of Power and friend to the traveler," he whispered, knowing that the God was dead, but still hoping that some spirit of Harkanian's influence remained. "Let us be swift, let us be untouched by delay, and let us be safe from harm..."  
"_**Even if My Brother cannot bless you, I shall.**_"  
His hearts told him that this was the voice of Alahyde himself. Regalas smiled faintly and held his course. They would reach the Castle of Hyrule, he knew that without a doubt. And Harkin would be ready for what he was fated to do. 

Hours later, as Isagale burned in flames, Sahasrahla stood amid the destruction. He had survived the death of the council, only to be held while the lord of the dark army stepped towards him. He alone in the council had fought back, and for that, the forces of Ganondorf had spared him for their master.  
"So, you are the Elder of Isagale."  
He raise his head in defiance as the red-haired Gerudo man approached him. Beside the Gerudo, a Drow stood, wrapped in cloaks to hide his scars, but his eyes still showed. Sahasrahla showed no emotion to his enemy, only resistance and pride. "If you seek the boy, he's already gone."  
The red eyes went narrow. "What boy?" Ganondorf growled as he grabbed the elder by the collar of his robes. "Tell me, old man. _What_ boy has already gone?!"  
A smile finally broke on the man's face. "The Sword Magnus," he stated with pride. "He has already left Isagale, and is safely on his way to end your plans."  
Ganondorf snarled as he realized who the Sword Magnus was. Impossible as it seemed, it was the only answer to who his uncle had chosen to be his champion. "The farm boy," he muttered, then turned to look at Agahnim. "I told you that he should have been killed, he's a Tridelan!"  
The Drow bowed his head in shame. "I beg your forgiveness, I didn't not think a child would survive a forest so known for its danger."  
"_Veth'nak!_" the Gerudo swore. He noticed that Sahasrahla hadn't even flinched from the language he had spoken. A smile formed. "You know that tongue well, don't you?" he asked softly. "You know then, that it is the black language of the Drow when they first exiled into Kazah'dur. They worshiped my Father, and still do to this day, but His language is not often used even by them."  
"There are those of us Hylians who are not afraid to speak it when needed," the elder spat. His defiance shined like a shield, making sure that Ganondorf knew he was not broken. "You control _naz'gua_, Gerudo, wraiths of the Shadows. Your stench is fouler than that of the dead, son of Dragmire, and when the Sword Magnus strikes you down, may your soul burn forever in the Inferno!"  
In an flash, Ganondorf grabbed Sahasrahla by the neck and twisted hard, bone snapping and killing the old man instantly. He turned to Agahnim and growled in anger. "Begin the raising of those dead that our Dark Worlders didn't feed on, but leave this one dead. He has spirit, I'll give him that much of respect."  
The Drow bowed and walked off to carry out his orders. He paused as he looked down to see a dead child laying on the ground, dead but un-spoiled by the feeding of the beastmen. Something stirred in him at the killing of one so young. He glanced back at his master, then at the child.  
"Not you," he whispered softly. "I will spare you children of our need, I have that much left in me."  
As he continued on his way, something called to him. It was faint, but he still heard it. It seemed to be calling to him not to continue his service to Ganonodorf. For a moment, his scars seemed to heal as he stood there, but halted and stayed as they were when he continued walking out into the fields of the dead.  
"I have no use for compassion," he whispered as he cast the spell that would raise a new army. "Pity is all that remains, and very little of that I have."  
  


To Be Continued...  



	3. A Shadow's Embrace

Dreaded Author Notes! Yeah, may as well. P  
I know that there will be lots of confusion on why I went with "TryForce" instead of the games standard "Triforce". It has to do with the grammar rules I've devise for "Hylian into English". With Hylian words and names, the long I sound is always represented by a Y. And with Hylian names, you pronounce all vowels.Thus, as example, Dragmire is "Drag-mee-reh", not "Drag-mire", and Tridelan is "Tree-del-ahn". Hope this does clear up any more possible confusion.  
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Smoke rose into the sky as Regalas and Harkin raced down the dirt road. Both knew that Isagale was lost, but precious time had been bought for them to escape this far. It was still a three day journey to Hyrule Castle though, and Regalas could only pray that he and Harkin made it in time. He only knew that Ganondorf's forces would be held back for a short time, but how long, he did not dare even guess.  
"We'll be to Jemsa soon," he stated to Harkin, knowing that the boy was bound to be both quite hungry and tired. Epona was showing signs of exhaustion as well, so if only for her to recover if nothing else, the stop had to be made.  
"I can still hear the voices," Harkin whispered. Regalas narrowed his eyes. Isagale was too far to hear anything even with Hylian ears, so what voice could the boy be hearing? "Different from anything I've heard, they...they're telling me to go to the Gerudo Valley."  
Something was wrong, Regalas knew it. The Gerudo were a fierce race, and they were Ganondorf's race. Despite claims that he had been exiled from their society, there was still worry that some may in fact be followers of his. "It's not much farther to Jemsa."

"Where is the child?!"  
One of the few people in Isagale still alive, Nagar broke down crying at Ganondorf's demand. "I don't know, Sahasrahla told one of his guards to take him!"  
"Take him where?!" the Gerudo spat in anger. All this nonsense was very much trying his patience. He had already killed the elder Sahasrahla, so that source of information was gone. "Tell me now, or I will deliver a _very_ painful death, one that I will keep you alive through so that you can feel every moment of it!"  
Nagar collapsed to his knees in tears. "They probably went to Hyrule Castle, it's where Sahasrahla would most likely send them."  
Hyrule Castle. He had been heading there anyway, but this made thing all that more difficult. This guard and the boy he protected had already gained a huge head start. Then again, if the Knight of Hyrule were assembled to stop him, his own army would more than prove itself superior. "That's all I need know," Ganondorf stated as he turned away. "Kill him."  
"But you said that you would spare me!"  
"I never said such a thing," he replied, turning back to face Nagar. "I merely said that your death would be the most painful possible if you did not tell me. Instead, it will be swift." The Gerudo turned and nodded to Agahnim, leaving the Drow to handle Nagar's death. There was a scream, then the sound of a sword being quickly drawn, followed by a thud. Agahnim soon joined his master in looking over the newest additions to the undead troops.  
"How much of a head start," Ganondorf questioned, "does this guard have over us?"  
"About a day on horse, though it all depends on how well he knows the area." Agahnim magicked the blood from his sword before sheathing it, then drew his cloaks tightly around him. "Shall I send our beastmen to hunt them?"  
A shake of the head. "No, let them go. Hyrule's armies will mean nothing to our forces by the time we reach the castle. What of the Drow with us that still live?"  
"I sent them back to Kazah'dur to gather reinforcements," the Drow answered, noting that the skies were completely clouded over now. A thick blanket of red blocked out the sun totally, meaning that he need not worry now about the light from Hyrule's star. "Also to make sure that our, troubles there don't escalate. Ba'al at last report was gathering quite a bit of power, power he claims to be from a second Fallen God."  
Ganondorf narrowed his eyes. He knew who Agahnim spoke of, even if the Drow himself didn't. It meant trouble, not a great threat, but still trouble. "Mephistopheles," he whispered. He knew this 'fallen god'. "He is a creation of my Father's, but in the end, he rebelled, wanting to be the master and not the creation. I have no doubts that he is Ba'al's new master."  
Agahnim's eyes widened a bit with worry. The Dark God had created this master of his rival? Why had he never heard of this Mephistopheles before? And why had this creature rebelled against his creator, knowing that to try and overthrow Dragmire was futile? "This creature of Dragmire's...is he..."  
"I hold more power than he could hope to," Ganondorf stated in reply, smirking as he saw a group of Drow approach. "You return! What news of Kazah'dur do you bring?"  
The leader of the group bowed low to Agahnim. "My lord, we bring grave news," he began, sorrow in his voice. "Ba'al has taken over the throne, your father and brothers are all dead by his hand."  
"What?!" the Drow prince bellowed. He turned to Ganondorf, the look in his eyes one of pure rage. "If he has already done this, Ba'al must be stopped before he can threaten your own design!"  
"No power," the Gerudo said with an air of confidence, "but the Master Sword can face the might of the TryForce. Ba'al is hardly a Sword Magnus, so let him try and depose me from my birthright." He turned to the Drow party with a grin. "Gather our living troops, and bring what supplies we need! Agahnim, get the _naz'gua_ moving. We're heading to Hyrule Castle."  
"But what of Ba'al?"  
Again, Ganondorf flashed his teeth in reply. "As I said, let him come. We'll see what power Mephistopheles has given him and how it fares against the power of the TryForce." 

Night had alright come by the time Regalas and Harkin arrived in the town of Jemsa. The man reached an inn and managed to secure some rooms and a spot in the stables for his horse. Harkin, meanwhile, had taken the chance to get a sheath for the Master Sword that he could strap on around his back. He returned to the inn just as Regalas was paying for their dinners that evening.  
"There you are," he remarked softly, noticing the back scabbard that the boy now wore. "I was wondering what was so important to get here."  
Harkin nodded as he pulled up a seat and started eating. "I figured I might as well be able to carry this thing and have some free hands."  
Regalas smiled. The boy was catching on to his task fast, but it was obvious there was a long way to go before he was ready to face Ganondorf. First and foremost would be Harkin's skill with swordplay. "Tell me," he begin. "Your father, he ever teach you how to fight with a blade?"  
Harkin paused as he chewed a piece of meat and swallowed. "Other than some lessons with handling a boot knife, no." He suddenly went very quiet and silently continued to eat. Regalas could tell that the subject of the boy's family was still very sensitive.  
"I'm sorry if it brought up pain," he said, then sipped down some of his ale. "Harkin, the reason I ask is because if you are the Sword Magnus, you've got to know how to use the Sword you're Magnus to."  
A slight nod was the only reply the boy gave. Regalas could tell that he was still in shock from everything that had happened in such a short span of time, and he honestly couldn't blame the child. However, Harkin had to be ready when the time came.  
"You'll start lessons tomorrow once we reach Dun Talerd."  
Harkin finally looked up. "That's a Dwarf city, why are we stopping there?"  
"Because," Regalas replied sharply. "It's on the way to Hyrule Castle, and they can put new shoes on Epona, I don't trust the blacksmiths around here with that kind of work."  
"But the Dwarves-"  
Regalas made a slashing motion across his throat. "They are great blacksmiths, and regardless of what feuds went on between them and us Hylians centuries ago, they deserve respect for their craft. Besides, they're just a part of the Empire as any other race."  
Harkin was silent the rest of the meal. Regalas knew he shouldn't have been so harsh with the boy, but Harkin was hardly versed in the reality of the world. He had to learn that there was more to things that what you learned of the past. He also had to learn how to use a sword, and fast. If Ganondorf has somehow found out that Harkin was the Sword Magnus and still alive, he was bound to realize where they were going.  
When morning came, they set out almost at once, Regalas using every shortcut he knew to get to Dun Talerd faster. It wasn't long before they had reached the Dwarf city, most of the city carved in the side of the mountain pass, just as most Dwarf cities were. Regalas took his horse to a blacksmith and managed to reach an agreement on price with the dwarf for new shoes on Epona. Since it would be several hours for the shoes to be made and fitted onto the horse's hooves, Regalas took the chance to take Harkin and start teaching him proper swordplay.  
"First thing first," he began as he pulled off his leather overshirt. "Show me how you hold a sword."  
Drawing out his weapon, Harkin held it as best he could. Regalas sighed at the rather obvious novice posture, reminding himself that this boy knew little to nothing of fighting, and what little he knew was with long knives, not full swords. "Alright, let's start you on something a bit smaller so you can actually hold it right." He pulled the knife out of its sheath on his boot and handed it to Harkin as the boy put the Master Sword back in the back scabbard.  
"Now, watch how I hold a weapon," the man continued, pulling out the slim sword that was on a belt sheath. He held it at position for gripping a broad sword, watching as Harkin did his best to mimic the stance. "Good," he said approvingly, helping Harkin get better posture, then taking position again, this time opposite the boy. "Alright, basic blocking techniques. Left," and as he moved his sword, Harkin reposition his own to block. "Good. Now right, good. Now again left, this time, downwards."  
Harkin quickly caught onto the exercise, soon getting into full motion of the basic movements. It was just as Regalas was about to move to a new lesson that the boy tilted his head to the west, in the direction of where they had come from. "Something's coming," he stated, ears almost twitching. "From Isagale, probably already reach Jemsa by now, or gone through."  
"Ganondorf's army," Regalas realized, sheathing his sword before pulling back on his overshirt and bidding Harkin to race back into the city. "Hurry, we need to get Epona and leave as soon as possible!"  
"But we're still two days from Hyrule Castle!" the boy exclaimed, then stopped as he felt a warning in his hearts. He turned just in time to see a cloaked form burst out from the shadows and leap at him. He quickly fell back as the form went over, getting up and holding Regalas' knife at the ready.  
"A heavy price for the Sword Magnus," the creature hissed, drawing a pair of long thin swords from in the cloaks. "A pity, this was too easy!"  
"Stand down, Gauru!" Regalas called. The Gauru merely snorted, then fell dead as an arrow sprang forth and pierced his head. The man narrowed his eyes while Harkin ran to his side, then pulled another arrow from the thin quiver pack Harkin now noticed was attached to the back of Regalas' overshirt. He strung it ready and let go, the arrow flying forward and striking down another Gauru. "They already have agents here," he whispered, then led Harkin back into Dun Talerd, racing to the blacksmith's just as the dwarf was finishing up with putting Epona's new shoes on her hooves.  
"There's trouble," he start sharply, glancing back out of the city. "Gauru assassins are in the area, and an army of undead are on their way, we need to get out of here fast."  
The dwarf narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "I thought something was odd about all this. Why are they after you though?"  
Regalas growled and saddled Epona before helping Harkin up. "It concerns the fate of all Hyrule. Dun Talerd must be evacuated, because once that army reaches here, it will leave no survivors, just like it did to Isagale!"  
With his warning, Regalas mounted Epona and spurred her into full gallop, leaving the dwarf blacksmith to watch in confusion. "Damn strange folk," he muttered, then felt a pain shoot through his chest while a warm wet feeling spread over his front. He looked down to see a Gauru blade sticking out of his chest, then collapsed when it was pulled out.  
Hours later, when the undead army moved through, the city of Dun Talerd was in ruins, just like Isagale and Jemsa before it. Ganondorf frowned as he looked over the devastation, then turned to Agahnim. "They escaped again," he growled in frustration. "It seems the Gauru are not a reliable as their reputation would suggest."  
"We do know that the Hylians left not long before we reached here," the Drow stated, hoping that such news would be welcome to his master. "That means within the day, we should have them."  
"That's if they make another stop," Ganondorf finished. He looked around at the dead dwarves, and the fires that still burned and the destroyed city. "No, I doubt our friends will risk another delay. That guard knows we're following them, he'll ride as long as he can and take any route he knows to shorten their journey."  
Turning on his heel, Ganondorf picked up a large sword from the debris of what had been the blacksmith's shop. "Not a total waste," he muttered, testing the sword's handling and finding it perfect to his use. He looked to Agahnim and smiled, then walked to the black horse in armor that awaited him. "They're headed for Hyrule Castle and the Temple of Time, that much is clear. Let them, I say, it'll make wiping them and the Knights of Hyrule out all that more enjoyable!"  
Agahnim bowed and turned as the Gerudo rode off, then felt something in the winds. It was similar to the power he felt from his own master, but somehow, it was different. And then there was the familiar scent in the air. He turned to one of his Drow and narrowed his eyes. "Move the army on," he ordered. "Ba'al is close by, we don't need to risk the chance of his causing losses to our forces."  
With a bow, the three Drow ran to get the undead troops moving, while Agahnim drew his sword and stepped out to the mountain pass that was entrance to Dun Talerd. "I know you're here!" he called out, cloaks flapping about his form in the now strong winds that had picked up. "Show yourself, Ba'al! You killed my kin, now show yourself to me!"  
"Interesting," came the cold voice. A black shrouded form appeared before Agahnim, pulling back the hood of his cloaks to reveal a sharply defined Drow face and white hair. "We both serve masters who were spawned by Dragmire Himself," he continued, chuckling a bit as he paced before the Drow Prince. "However, my lord is a god, while yours is a mere God-blood."  
"That God-blood holds the TryForce," Agahnim stated with an angry curl in his voice. "He is more than your master will ever be, and you and Mephistopheles know it."  
Ba'al let out a laugh that echoed through the pass. "The TryForce?!" he scoffed, mocking the mere idea of someone holding more power than his master. "I assure you, Ganondorf _ul_ Dragmire and his precious TryForce are of no concern to us! It didn't help your father and your brothers when I slaughtered them, what make you think it'll save you from death?!"  
This time, it was Agahnim's turn to smile. "You can't kill what's already been dead," he stated, pulling his own face veil and hood off to reveal the scars on his face. "The TryForce is what gave me this new life," he continued, noting the look of surprise on Ba'al's face. All the better to convince the fool that he was playing the wrong game, that's all that mattered right now. "If it can bring life to the dead, what chance do you think Mephistopheles has against Ganondorf?"  
Ba'al narrowed his eyes at the Drow Prince. Indeed, he had nothing to counter such facts. The armies of undead that Ganondorf commanded proved that the Gerudo had power over the dead, and the beastmen...they were something else all together. However, it was Agahnim that held his concern at the moment. If he indeed was rerisen from death as he claimed...  
"I have other things to address before my task with you and Ganondorf," he finally said, turning and vanishing much the same as he had appeared. "But we will meet again, Agahnim."  
The Drow frowned, knowing that Ba'al had something in mind. Now was not to time to dwell though; he had his master to catch up with. Turning and pulling his veil and hood back over his face, Agahnim sheathed his sword and mounted his horse, then rode off in the direction of Hyrule Castle. There was much to do, and not much time to do it in. 

Even as Regalas pushed Epona as fast as she could run, Harkin heard a voice in the wind, telling him this time though of a great danger that was approaching from the shadows. "They're speaking again."  
The man frowned. Hearing voices that had no owners was not unusual for Hylians; their ears were long and point for the very purpose of hearing the Gods. However, for Harkin to here a voice while he could not, that was the strange part. "We can't go to the Gerudo," he stated, holding Epona on her trail. "It's too much a risk."  
"No, the voices are warning me," the boy clarified. That got Regalas' attention in full. "Another threat from the shadows has awakened, a creation of the Dark God."  
Eyes narrow, Regalas knew he had heard of this tale. "The Lord of Flames," he whispered. He did not know the creature's name, but he knew the story, something that Sahasrahla had been most adamant about teaching him. "From the Shadows, his fire will burn the souls of the righteous, and into the darkness he shall bind those he claims."  
"It won't be on the side of Ganondorf."  
That caused Regalas to being Epona to a halt. "What did you say?"  
"The Shadow," Harkin continued. "The voice is telling me, that it and its servant are not on Ganondorf's side, but its own."  
Now Regalas was worried. Ganondorf's armies were bad enough, but a second force of darkness was trying to claim Hyrule as well? If it wasn't facing the power of the TryForce in evil hands, it was facing that _and_ the Flame of Shadows at the same time. He looked down the road, then kicked Epona's side to get her back on the path. They had to reach Hyrule castle soon and warn the king of the now duel threats of Ganondorf and the Lord of Flames.  
"Not more than half a day now," he whispered. Having skipped a stop in Ruto village, they had cut several hours from the journey, but it had resulted in Epona wearing out faster.  
"There's a shortcut," Harkin muttered, then glanced into the nearby forest. "In there."  
"The Lost Woods?!" Regalas gasped in shock. "Are you crazy?! No one's ever come out of there alive, and not from beasts! It's a maze that can't be navigated!"  
"The voice is telling me it'll take us straight to Hyrule Castle."  
The man narrowed his eyes again. He had his doubts, but this voice that spoke to Harkin seemed not to be straying them wrong so far. Perhaps they should have gone to the Gerudo Valley, it had been closer in travel to Isagale than Hyrule Castle, but his doubts about the Gerudo had prevented that. Now that he looked back, it might have been a mistake not to go there. "Into the Lost Woods it is," he muttered, coaxing his horse into the forest and soon finding them in a near repeating system of trees.  
"To the North," Harkin stated. Regalas nodded and steered Epona as the boy directed, finding that it indeed brought them to a new area. As Harkin continued to give directions, Regalas was in constant shock that they were indeed navigating the forests. Soon, they came bursting out of the woods to find Hyrule Castle in the distance.  
Regalas was amazed; in less than two hours, they had made what was a day's journey. He looked back into the trees, utterly astounded at the powers of the Lost Woods. "Never did I think..." He trailed off, then spurred Epona onto towards the castle, reaching the gates of the outer walls in little time. He and Harkin dismounted, allowing Epona to rest in a nearby stable while they raced to the castle itself. If not for Regalas being a known face, the guards would not have allowed them entry.  
The two hurried through the halls of the castle, Harkin struggling to keep up with Regalas, but they soon reached the throne room, evidentially barging in during some sort of meeting. Regalas noted that it was becoming a habit of his to have such timing. "Highness, forgive me, but I bring grave news from Isagale!"  
"Might I ask who you think you are?" one of the men in the room demanded. Regalas turn to face him, then ignored the remark.  
"Highness Grevian of the Clan Alahyde, the worst of all fears has happened. The TryForce has fallen into the hands of evil."  
As it had in Isagale, a whisper of horror echoed through the throne room. King Grevian stood from his throne and stepped down to Regalas, looking him over. "I recognize you well, Regalas Veradal _dai_ Latyra," he stated calmly, then noticed Harkin standing behind the man. "This child, however, I do not know. Who is he?"  
"This is Harkin Tridelan," Regalas replied, noting the disbelief in the room. "He is of direct clan blood, but that is not why he is here. Sire, Alahyde has chosen this child as the Sword Magnus, and he bears the Master Sword as proof of this."  
Grevian knit his brow while examining Harkin, then looking closely at the Sword held on his back. "It is the Sword," he finally said, then rose to his full height. "Why is Sahasrahla not with you, Regalas? I trust he could better explain why you have come, and why the Sword Magnus has been chosen."  
This explanation would not be easy to give. "He stayed behind to hold off Ganondorf's armies in Isagale," Regalas replied, sighing heavily. "I don't believe he survived, and I know he didn't expect to when he sent us here."  
"The outcast?!"  
Regalas turned to see a red haired woman stepping forward. Her rounded ears gave away clearly that she was Gerudo, but she had an unusually slim nose in comparison to the rest of her kind. "You are..."  
"Nabooru, Queen of the Gerudo," the woman said sharply, then turned to Grevian. "If the outcast has attacked Isagale, then it can only mean he's gained demonic powers."  
"Corrupted a Holy power is more like it," Regalas corrected, keeping his eye on the Gerudo woman. "He's obtained the TryForce from the Realm of Light, and he's killed Harkanian and Latyra, this news was given to the boy by Alahyde Himself!" He noticed the whispers of horror again floating through the room. "Ganondorf is indeed the son of Dragmire, as he has claimed, and it seems that the Dark God is now putting in motion a plan to conquer not just Hyrule, but the entire cosmos!"  
"Then he must be stopped at all costs!" Nabooru said in agreement. Regalas was surprised for the Gerudo to take his side; as one of Ganondorf's race, she should have held some sympathy for the thief king. Evidentially, she had read his thoughts. "Despite he was to be our King," she stated, looking to Regalas. "Ganondorf broke the most sacred of all Hyrule's laws and killed a member of the Clans most willingly and knowingly. That is why we exiled him, and that is why we will stand against him."  
Grevian nodded to the Gerudo, then looked to the others in the room with a deep gaze. "Normally, I'd call a council of war to debate this matter," he stated, then narrowed his eyes. "However, since our enemy is even now on its way here, there is no time. As king of all Hyrule and thus all kingdoms in the Empire, I call on all the Knights of Hyrule to muster and defend against the dark threat of Dragmire's spawn. I expect you all to call on your own armies to help in this action."  
"There hasn't been war in three hundred years!" one of the men in the room shouted as he jumped up from his seat. "Galia will not join any aggression, we have no need to fight!"  
"Have you not paid attention?!" Regalas snapped in anger, pointing to Harkin, or more exactly, and the sword on Harkin's back. "The Sword Magnus has been chosen, the Sacred Blade has been awakened! The TryForce has fallen into the hands of Evil! What other signs do you need that this is the darkest hour we have yet faced?!"  
A snort came from the man's lips. "You claim that this boy was told by the God of Wisdom that His Brothers are dead. Nothing can kill a God, soldier, so I very much doubt that this story holds much truth."  
"Perhaps you should study the prophecies more," came a harsh voice. A man dress in simple robes stepped into the chamber, bowing slightly to the king, then standing besides Regalas. His eyes seemed to tell that he knew exactly what was going on. "If you had, you would know that this was all foretold long before even the Drow exiled themselves into Kazah'dur!"  
"Raura," Regalas whispered to Harkin. The boy could see the reverence in the man's eyes, then looked to the sage. It was all too obvious almost everyone in the room gave Raura great respect.  
"_Nahz ahg, duradai. Itk grah, girathidan. Thrakatulika, nazg gah, Dragmire iskodah, muridah Kazah moriak danakur!_" Raura bellowed. The light in the throne room seemed to die as he spoke those words, while a rumble shook through the entire castle. Everyone stared in shock at the sage, but he gave no apology for his words, not for the tongue that they belonged to.  
"No one," Grevian said with fright, "has ever dared speak that tongue on these grounds, Raura. You know very well why."  
The sage nodded. "Indeed, highness. However, it is a language which must be said, if only to show a small taste of the horrors to soon befall all of Hyrule!" He turned to face Regalas, then looked to Harkin. "You don't know this tongue," Raura said softly. "Thus, I shall tell you what it means. I will tell all of you." He took a deep breath, looked at the people in the room, and began. "It means plainly, that by Dragmire's hand, the blood of the Gods shall be spilled in their realm. Their greatest gift to Creation shall be stolen by his spawn, and all the universe shall see a shadow of evil blanket all things! That is what we see before us, Lord Berath, and unless this army of Ganondorf _ul_ Dragmire's is stopped, the universe shall see death pour onto all life!"  
The man who had objected to war, Berath, looked around for support in his words, but found none. He stood alone in his stand. "Very well," he growled. "Believe this Drow spun horror tale! You all know that only they would foretell such a thing!"  
"Those words were spoken long before the Drow became so," Raura stated firmly. "They did not tell of these events, and though Dragmire Himself did, it is coming true. Harkanian and Latyra are dead, the TryForce had been claimed by Evil, and as you see before you, the Sword Magnus stands, ordained and blessed by Alahyde Himself!"  
Berath glared at the Sage of Time, then stormed out of the throne room, but not before turning to those that remained. "Galia will not aid your war," he spat. "Expect no aid from us. Merely because you hold the seat of rule to the planet does not mean you can just go storming off to battle."  
He then turned and left. Regalas moved to stop him, but Raura shook his head to the man, both knowing that Berath would never be convinced otherwise of the world's plight. The Sage turned to everyone that had stayed with a firm look in his eyes. "The forces of all Hyrule will never be assembled in time," he stated. He then looked to the female aide that stood beside the king. "Impa, I have need of your abilities," he stated, his eyes wandering now to a girl who only now just arrived in the throne room. "Take the princess to your people."  
"What?!" the girl exclaimed, not knowing what was going on at all. "Why do I have to leave, what's going on that need me away from the castle?"  
Raura finally broke a soft smile and stepped over to the girl. "Princess Celestia, war is coming, and I'm afraid you will not be safe here. With the Sheikah though, you will be." He then looked back to Impa, nodding to the white haired woman, then turning his eyes to Grevian. "I'm sure we both can agree that this is best."  
As much as it pained him, the king nodded. "Leave as soon as possible," he stated to Impa, his eyes though on his daughter. "And assemble the Sheikah warriors. I'll stay here and assembled the Knights that are at the castle while messengers send word to those nearby."  
"Father, no!" the princess cried. Fear was in her eyes now, incomparable fear. "My dreams, you know what they've told me!"  
"And I'm only sorry I didn't believe them to be speaking of now," Grevian replied as he held Celestia's hand. "You must go with Impa though to the Sheikah. You will be safe there." He turned to Regalas and gestured for the man to kneel. "Hand me your sword," he stated, Regalas obeying at once and falling to his knees. As Grevian lightly placed the blade of the slime sword on the young man's shoulders, he knit his brow. "Regalas Veradal _dai_ Latyra, son of Eldran and descendent of the Clan of Courage. You kneel a guard to the elder of you Clan, but you shall arise a Knight of Hyrule. As your task, you will be protector to the Sword Magnus until the threat to all Hyrule is over."  
He pulled away the blade and nodded for Regalas to rise and take back his weapon. "Now that the formality of all that is done," the king cracked. "Let's get to work. Impa, you and Celestia leave at once for your people."  
"At once," Impa replied, nodding to the princess and walking out of the chamber. Celestia looked to her father, then followed Impa, tears breaking down her cheeks. Grevian turned to Raura and sighed.  
"This is going to be a long one," he muttered. "Isn't it, old friend?"  
"Until Ganondorf is robbed of what he has stolen," Raura replied, his eyes telling of his own worries. "Alahyde gave me vision that even if we turn _ul_ Dragmire's armies here, shadows will still befall Hyrule. There is more to the prophecies than what I told. Five years of Darkness will engulf the world until the Sword Magnus faces the Dark Lord. The end result of that, I do not know, for prophecy merely tells the road that will be traveled, not the destination of the journey."  
The king nodded sadly, knowing well what the Sage meant. They only knew the way things would go, but not how they would end. Ganondorf still could destroy his foes and become the supreme ruler of all Creation. If that was not enough, it was obvious that the Sword Magnus was no warrior, nor in what little time they had left could he be prepared. There was little choice however, and there was no time left; they needed the Master Sword.  
"Regalas, stay with the child," he finally stated, then turned to the other rulers and nobles in the room. "Return to your homes as fast as you can. Through gate or the seas, I don't care, but the armies of Hyrule must be mustered to face the threat of Dragmire's son.  
"What of Galia and Berath," one of the nobles asked. "What stand to we have on them?"  
Grevian sighed in remorse. "He will not aid us, and as such, we can expect no aid from Galia. Send a messenger to the Harkanians in Catalia, inform them that the worst has come to pass and the God of Power has been slain. We will need their forces to combat Ganondorf's armies."  
As the nobles bowed to the king and left, Grevian turned to the trio of Knight, Sage and Sword Magnus. "Raura," he stated. "Take the child to the Temple of Time, he must be kept safe. Regalas, come with me. You need to be properly outfitted at a Knight."  
"No offense," the archer said with respect. "But the armor of the knights would not aid me. I'm an archer, and heavy armor would only hinder my abilities."  
Grevian broke a smile at the young man and nodded. "I should have expected that. Alright, light armor for you it is and a new bow just in case your own fails. When we're done, I want you to join Raura and the boy in the Temple, you must stay with him at all costs."  
Regalas nodded and followed the king while Raura led Harkin out another door and through the castle. The boy looked around at the corridors, then finally noticed the temple as they reached outside. "Is that where we're going?"  
"Yes," Raura replied, his voice calm. "That is the Temple of Time, my charge in my task as Sage for the Gods." He ushered the boy inside and took a seat while waiting for Regalas to arrived. "Might I ask, where are your parents if Regalas brought you here."  
Harkin lowered his head. Again, he saw those images flash in his mind, his mother screamed as she was murdered, his father begging the Drow in vain to spare his family. "The Ulgranda attack my home," he whispered, hoping he would not have to continue. He looked up at Raura to see the old man nod and not press the issue. Somehow, he already knew.  
"It is best to face what troubles you," the Sage mused softly. He looked at the boy with a smile. "Only by accepting that it is done, well, that's how you will conquer it. But by all means, you must face it when the time comes."  
Harkin nodded and took a seat on the ground, his gaze find the symbol of the TryForce above what appeared to be a huge stone door. "What's behind there?"  
Raura looked back to where Harkin was staring and knit his brow. "Those are the Doors of Time," he stated, his voice now not so calm. "What lies behind, I do not know, they have been shut tight since this temple was placed here by the Gods. Not even legends give any clue to what the doors hide."  
Harkin could only gaze at the doors, and still was when Regalas arrived. The man was now clad in a chain shirt made of blue _mithril_ under a new tunic. Like his old overshirt, the tunic had a quiver built in on the back so that he wouldn't be at a loss for arrows. The man looked to Harkin, then glanced to Raura. "How long as he been like that?"  
"Since we arrived in here," the Sage replied with a smile. "Such a young mind trying to solve the riddles of the Temple. I only pray that he is safe in here until he must act on his fate."  
A trumpet could be heard, Regalas instinctively readying his bow, but Raura bade him to stand down. Both knew that the battle had now begun, but it was far to soon; Ganondorf's armies were at least a day from the castle, and they did not have the grace of the God of Wisdom to guide them through the Lost Woods. How could the forces of Dragmire have reached their destination so soon?  
Suddenly, a scream came just before a knight crashed through the doors of the temple. Regalas raised his bow and strung it with double arrows. He expected the undead Drow, beastmen, or even Ganondorf himself, but not the single man who stepped into the temple. He was armored in pure black, a cloak billowing around him, and a sword that seemed made of fire in his hand. The blue skin and white hair marked him as a Drow, but something about his black eyes suggested he was no longer such.  
"Who are you?!" Regalas demanded, ready to fire should the man make any aggression. His eyes moved to the knight that had been flung through the doors, only to see him writhing in agony, as if he were burning from the inside out. It was then that Regalas felt something from this man; a pure evil, like nothing he had ever felt before. There was no doubt in his mind now that this was the servant of the Lord of Flames. Enemy of Ganondorf's or not, he was just as much a threat to Hyrule.  
"I am called Ba'al," the man replied, brandishing his sword and grinning coldly. He took a step forward, shocking the three Hylians as nothing happened to him upon touching the threshold of the temple. "And as you can see," he continued, his cold smile not waving. "The power of your Gods means nothing to that of my master Mephistopheles."  
_So that's the beast's name!_ Regalas thought. He let his arrows fly without a second thought, but they were blocked by Ba'al's sword, incinerating the arrows into nothing. The Hylian knight gasped in horror, then restrung his bow with two more arrows.  
"Why waste the ammunition?!" the demonic empowered Drow laughed as he continued to walk towards the Hylians, again vaporizing the arrows that Regalas fired. "I am the hand of Mephistopheles, and once we are done, _He_ will be God over the universe! No Ganondorf, no Dragmire, no Alahyde, just Mephistopheles!"  
Now drawing his own sword, Regalas backed away to keep guard over Harkin and Raura. "You don't yet realize who you face? The Sword Magnus has been anointed, Ba'al! The Blade of Evil's Bane has been awakened, and the time of the Dark God's end is at hand!"  
Ba'al stopped as he looked past Regalas to Harkin. This boy was the savior of Hyrule?! A _child_ was Alahyde's champion? What could a child possibly do against the armies of Dragmire, let alone against the Dark Gods. "This is who Alahyde chose?!" he bellowed in amusement. "A boy?! Alahyde must be even stupider than I thought, no child could stand against the power of my master, let alone Dragmire! Your precious God of Wisdom obviously has no love for your kind, Hylian, if he anoints a pathetic child as the Sword Magnus!"  
"That He chose an innocent soul is proof that He cares," Regalas snapped back in reply. There was no doubt in his hearts that he was right, that the reason Harkin was chosen was because Alahyde loved those He had created. "Harkin is of the Goddess' Beloved, he is the innocent soul, and he is the one who will defeat your master and Ganondorf!"  
"He has to live first." Ba'al let out a yell and raced at Regalas, attempting to move around the Hylian knight and get to Harkin, but he was stopped by the archer's sword. The smile that had been permented on his face finally fade as he realize that the Hylian was not about to let any harm come to the boy. "You're a fool," he spat, falling back and readying his sword. "Your only reward in guarding him will be death at my hands, and my sword will bind you into the darkness that is the Inferno!"  
"The righteous have no fear of the Inferno," Regalas stated as he kept guard over Harkin and Raura. "Only the wicked are condemned to its fires, and you most certainly are bound to that place."  
Ba'al growled and slashed again with his fiery sword, only for Regalas to again block the blow. It was then that he chuckled, noticing the strain in the Hylian's eyes. "You feel it, don't you?" he taunted, pushing harder with his weapon against Regalas' sword. "The fires, the torments that await those condemned to eternity in the Inferno. That is what my sword is, Hylian; a gate for the Inferno's power, condemning those who die by it to forever burn. The righteous or the wicked, it matters not to the Fire. In the end, all will be bound into the darkness!"  
"No!"  
Ba'al gasped as a blazing light barely missed cutting into him. Standing there, with the Master Sword in hand, was Harkin, the child Sword Magnus. The blade of his weapon shined madly, causing Ba'al to back away. The fear that his own sword caused to its enemies was nothing compared to the sheer terror this blade instilled into him from just being near it.  
"Harkin, get back!"  
The boy ignored Regalas, holding the Master Sword out in challenge to Ba'al. The deadly look in his eyes was more than enough to say that despite he had no skill yet, he was not about to let this go on. "I don't know just who your master is," he stated, stepping forward. "But if I am fated to face Ganondorf and the power of the TryForce, then I must face you and your master as well!"  
Ba'al again backed away, then growled. How dare this child think to challenge the might of Mephistopheles! How dare he even think to go against the hand of the God Demon! Surely this boy would suffer most in damnation once he was dead, it was the least he deserved for thinking he could fight the dark powers. "You shall burn the most," he snarled, raising his sword in ready. "I shall indeed have fun killing you!"  
"Your fight is with me!" Regalas cut in, moving to keep Harkin behind him. "He is not ready to meet his fate, so I'll fight for him!"  
The demonic Drow laugh and was about to attack when a sudden rumble shook the Temple of Time. He looked back and narrowed his eyes. "He's already here?!" Ba'al whispered, then turned back to the Hylians. "It appears this must be ended faster than we had planned." He rush forward, Regalas deflecting away the flaming sword and kicking Ba'al hard in the face. The archer pulled back, forcing Harkin and Raura to move towards the Doors of Time. Unless something cause Ba'al to break off soon, they didn't have a chance of survival.  
It was then that Ba'al froze, turning to see a tall form in the doorway. The figure stepped forward, flames crackling as he set foot on the temple threshold, but they had no effect on him at all. He smiled and drew out a large blade from his cloak. His red hair and large sloped nose gave him away as Gerudo, and as only one male was born to the Gerudo every century, he could only be one person.  
"Ganondorf," Raura gasped, horrified that such a pure evil being could set foot in the Temple of Time. Ba'al had the protection of Mephistopheles, but Ganondorf, he had nothing shielding him from the sacred wards of the Gods, the fact that fire had indeed burst around him was proof, but he was untouched by the protection the Temple had.  
"That I am," he stated, chuckling and walking forward. "It seems that the Lost Woods hold quite unique properties. If one navigates them properly, they can reach a destination within mere hours instead of days." He glanced to Regalas and Harkin, knowing quite well that they had gotten to the castle the same way. "And now, Ba'al, if you would be so kind as to step aside and let the true Lord of Darkness handle the Sword Magnus, I may consider sparing your miserable life."  
Regalas stared in horror at the two. It was now that he realize Ba'al and Ganondorf were very much the same; both serving Dark Gods, both condemning innocents to death, but the difference was, Ba'al condemned the innocent to damnation against their choice. At least if Ganondorf killed them, they had a chance to join the afterlife and join with the TryForce...but that thought shattered when he remembered that _Ganondorf_ held the TryForce. One way or another, those lives were in torture for eternity unless this war ended.  
His eyes moved to the Doors of Time. No one knew what lay beyond, nor how they opened. As he sheathed his sword, he looked at the alter before the doors and saw the answer. Carved into the stone was again the mark of the TryForce, but another carving was there; the shape of the Master Sword, detailed and pointing to what looked like a slot just wide enough for the Sacred Weapon's blade to slide in.  
"Harkin," he whispered. "The Master Sword is the key. It's the key to opening the Doors."  
"What good is that gonn'a do now?"  
As Ba'al refused to let Ganondorf have his claim, the Gerudo caught notice of the trio in the corner of his eye. While his ears could not hear the whispers, Regalas' gestures were more than enough to tip him off. "You fool," he growled, pushing past Ba'al. "They've found how to open the Doors of Time!"  
"Harkin, do it!"  
The boy, not truly understanding, thrust the Master Sword into the slot. Light suddenly burst forth as the Doors slowly slid open, causing Ganondorf and Ba'al to shield their eyes. Harkin pulled out the Sword once the doorway was open, backing up the stairs, but not entering the Doors.  
"Regalas, come on!"  
The archer looked back but a moment, then drew his sword again while guarding Raura. "You've failed!" he called to both Gerudo and Drow. "The Sword Magnus will live to bring end to both of you!"  
"Not if his life is mine," Ganondorf growled, leaping forward and over the Hylians to land before Harkin. He grinned as he reached forward at the boy, only for a sharp pain to shoot through his arm. It was no pain he had felt before though, it was like fire burning through him; Harkin had struck him with the Master Sword. He glared at the boy, rage now forming from this simple child. "You don't wish to enter the Doors," he whispered, then swat the child hard sending him flying through the Doors and into the light that lay beyond them. "Then so you shall become one with what lies beyond!"  
"Harkin!" Regalas screamed, but he knew it was too late. Even as he moved to helped the boy, Harkin was already engulfed by the light beyond the Doors, all that remained of him the Master Sword as it clattered to the ground, going dark as it had been when it rested in the Temple of Light. Regalas and Raura could only stare in horror, knowing from that simple sign that Harkin had been lost, and with him, all hope.  
The Sword Magnus was gone.  
  


To Be Continued...  



	4. Five Years of Darkness

Author's Notes: There are none. P Enjoy the story, feel free to Read and Review. Real reviews, mind you, that help with the works and not juts say "I'm confused."  
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Regalas and Raura could only stare in horror as the Doors of Time slid shut again. Everything they had worked for, all the destruction that had happened, the sacrificed made to get them this far, all was in vain.  
He was gone. Harkin Tridelan, the Sword Magnus, savior of Hyrule and the only hope against the power of the TryForce, was gone, just like that. The moment Ganondorf had swat him into the light beyond the Doors, the boy had been sucked into what lay beyond, leaving only the Master Sword, which now lay on the ground, dark and without any light.  
Even Ba'al said nothing nor moved to continue his attack as he too stared in utter shock. So easily had Ganondorf beaten the greatest threat to his power, merely swatting him away into the Doors. True, the Magnus was only a child, but if it had been this easy, why had he not been able to kill the boy only minutes before.  
It was then that the Gerudo let out a laugh, a terrible, hollow laugh that boomed throughout the temple. He turned to the Hylians and the Drow, his voice echoing in triumph as even then, he realized the ease of his victory. He had won. The Sword Magnus was gone, and now nothing could fight his power. No one now could wield the Master Sword, it was fated to lay at the Doors of Time forever, awaiting a master who would never return.  
"Now!" he roared, leaping down from the steps and walking towards the trio. "Now do you see my power, _mortals?!_ I am no longer just the god-blood son of Dragmire, I _am_ a God! I am the Lord of all Darkness, the God of Evil! Your champion fell all too easily, and now I let you live with the knowledge that everything you did, all that you fought for and sacrificed, it was all for nothing!"  
As he stepped past them, Regalas found he couldn't move at all. Ganondorf was right, it had all been for nothing. Alahyde's chosen warrior had been beaten so easily, and almost not a drop of blood had been shed. It could have been called the biggest disaster in the history of war, but it was for worse than that. Hyrule's only hope had been destroyed by the mere thrust of the hand.  
It was then that he finally turned to see Ba'al leaving. At first, it confused him, but then he realized why. Because they had failed, they were not worth his attention; they had already been broken. He and Raura were beyond what the Drow's sword could ever do to them. Their torment had already begun before they were even dead.  
"It's over," Raura finally said after the long silence. "It's all over, Ganondorf has won." He sighed and sat down on the steps looking and the once more sealed Doors of Time. "All the time I have served here," he mused, "I've wondered what lay beyond the Doors. Now...I wish that I hadn't."  
Regalas merely fell down to the ground, all semblance of hope gone. With Harkin gone, the Castle would fall, and Darkness would engulf not just Hyrule, but all of Creation. It would all spiral down into a self-destructive cycle until nothing remained. What was the point in even continuing to live? Either by Ganondorf's hands, or by Ba'al's, everyone would be condemned to an eternity of damnation. Even the Sages would not be able to stand against the might of the TryForce.  
And then he realized that there was still hope. Certainly not the same hope they had in the Sword Magnus, but there still was a hope. "The Sages," he whispered, now knowing their last chance. "Raura," he began, turning to the Sage of Time. "There are Seven Sages, am I right?"  
He nodded, but the old man did not understand what Regalas was meaning. "I'm afraid I don't understand, why are you-"  
"What power do the Seven have when united?" the young archer asked quickly, but he already knew the answer. "The power to bend reality. Don't you see, there still is hope! If we can unit the Seven Sages, we could create a gate and seal Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm! True, it won't last forever, but it could buy Hyrule time for another Sword Magnus to be born!"  
And then, Raura saw that Regalas was right. As Sage of Time, he has some power to bend the flow of the continuum, but if that power combined with those of the other six Sages, then the gate to the Sacred Realm could be forced open, and Ganondorf could be sealed there. As the young man had said, such a seal could not hold the dark lord forever, but precious time would be bought for another Sword Magnus to be chosen.  
There was one problem; the other Sages were scattered about all Hyrule. It would take months, even years to gather them all now. Only two others were even on the continent of Trindon, and both were far away from Tylon. It was the only chance they had though.  
"The castle is lost," Regalas stated. "Even Grevian knows that, we all know that's why he agreed to send the princess to the Sheikah with Impa Darkblade. We have to leave now if we're to gather the Sages. I know where to find the Sage of Forest and the Sage of Water, but the other Sages aren't even awakened yet."  
"Darunia of the Gorons is the Sage of Fire and awakened," Raura corrected. "But he's all the way on the Teramin continent. It's the Sages of Shadow, Spirit and Light that I do not know the where abouts of. They could be anywhere on the planet."  
Regalas nodded, then remembered one detail that Raura had stated before, about his visions. "You said that Hyrule would fall into five years of Darkness even if the Castle was won, right?" He knit his brow when the Sage nodded. "That means we've got five years to make this work, or there's no second chance. We have to leave now. I'll go to Lybranna and get the Sage of Forest, you head to Holodrum and find the Sage of Water." He finally headed for the doors of the Temple, then took one last look back at where the Master Sword lay. If there was another Sword Magnus to be chosen, the Temple of Time had to remain.  
"Good luck," Raura called as he took stood. "If indeed we only have five years before Darkness cannot be rebuked, then there is no time to waste."  
"May the Gods..." Regalas stopped. The Gods were no more, only one God of Virtue was left. The entire religion and beliefs of Hyrule had forever been changed by what Ganondorf had done. Unless Tridela returned, there was only one God watching over Creation, everything would change in the text of Hyrule's beliefs. It may as well start here.  
"God's grace to you," he finally said, then left, racing to escape the castle city. Epona, thankfully, still lived, rested and ready to run. Regalas quickly cut down a pair of beastmen that lunged after him, then leaped up and landed on his horse's back. A soft kick and she raced to leave the city. Regalas quickly readied his bow and fired as undead and beastmen tried to block his path, every shot killing its target. He and Epona burst from the city and raced away, ignored by Ganondorf's armies.  
Raura, walking out of the temple, saw the sheer carnage that was Ganondorf's assault on Hyrule Castle. He could not ride out, he had not the skill of battle like Regalas did. Another method was needed, one that he oft not liked to used. He had little choice though.  
"Grace of Time," he whispered, a faint ripple forming around him. "Grant me passage through this hardship, grant me protection to seek those needed to protect Creation."  
Even as he spoke, a massive gate of light opened before him. Raura smiled and entered the vortex, knowing that indeed he was protected by Alahyde. He sped through the fabric of space, racing to find the Sage he sought before it was too late.

Somewhere, far from Hyrule Castle, a young brunette girl looked up, feeling something in her hearts. She was in a place she did not live in, and even if she was who she was, she was still only fourteen years old. She suddenly started to cry, then ran to the white haired woman named Impa Darkblade.  
"He's dead!" she cried, the pain in her hearts telling her that it had come to pass. "Father's dead!"  
Impa bowed her head and whispered a prayer to Alahyde. It was then that she tried to comfort the young Princess Celestia. They were indeed safe from danger here, in the Sheikah city Kira'tha. They had almost gone to Kakariko Village, but a sense of danger had told Impa not to choose that path, and they had learned why when they reached this place; Kakariko was now crawling with undead, and the shadow beast that had been imprisoned deep underground there had been freed.  
Impa had no doubt that it was Ganondorf's doing. Only he would have the black heart to unleash the demon her ancestors had sealed under the village. As a result, she had brought Celestia to her own birthplace, indeed warning the Sheikah there of Ganondorf's power, but the warriors were not sent to Hyrule Castle. Impa knew the moment that Raura sent her and Celestia away from the castle that he and Grevian did not expect to win that battle. It was so that an heir would live, in the hope of Ganondorf's defeat and the survival of the Clan Alahyde.  
"Impa," Celestia whispered as she looked up to the woman's face. "Do something for me."  
"What is it, child?"  
In only two words, Celestia sent a shudder down Impa's spine. The intent behind them, the desire, was one that she had hoped the princess would never have, but she had still dreaded it since the day Celestia was born.  
"Teach me." 

Two years passed since that day. Regalas had found the Sage of Forest as he had planned, but he could not return to Tylon. His worst fear had come to pass; Ganondorf now ruled from a tower where Hyrule Castle had once stood. The Temple was untouched, true. It seemed that though he could set foot inside, Ganondorf could not destroy the sacred monument, no matter what he did. There was something after all that he could not tear down with even the power of the TryForce.  
He managed to keep tabs on thing happened in his homeland, but contact with Raura had been lost once the armies of Dragmire took over Tylon. Regalas could only hope that the Sage of Time had been successful. In the meantime, he and Nell, the Forest Sage, had headed off for the Teramin continent in hopes of finding Darunia of the Gorons. It was that journey which cost them another seven months of travel. Hyrule was an immense planet, almost as large as some stars that burned in the cosmos. If not for the fact that it was honeycombed with massive pockets of empty space deep under the surface, it would not have been possible for it to be solid, let alone a planet.  
Even as it was, some people found it amazing that the world did not collapse under the force of its own mass. The only answer was that it was by the power of the Gods. Even so, that did not make up for the immense time it took to travel from one end of the world to the other, let alone from one continent to another. Regalas thanked fate that the ship he and Nell had found was a fast one, otherwise it could have been a whole year more before they reached Teramin.  
As their voyage across the seas was nearing its end, Regalas sighed deeply while looking out at the faint sign of land in the distance. He had never been to the Teramin continent. In fact, he had never left Trindon at all in his twenty-six years of life. He didn't know what to expect in this land that would be so new to him.  
Land was reached that very night, Regalas and Nell finding rooms for the night at the port city's inn. Despite their safety in reaching the continent, Regalas had felt a sense of danger growing in the back of his mind. It wasn't until they were heading to sleep that he discovered why.  
Riders cloaked in black had been searching the country for someone. They never revealed their faces, but they had been reported to give of an aura that put fear in any who were near them. Word of a man armored in black with a skull upon his breastplate had also been spreading, that he too was searching. There was no doubt the man in black was Ba'al, but it was these black riders that puzzled Regalas. They were plainly servants of Ganondorf, but no creature save maybe Ba'al had such an aura that had been said of these beings.  
Nell looked out the window of their room and narrowed her eyes when she saw the cloaked forms entering the city. Even at this distance, she could feel the utter sense of depression that radiated from them. "Regalas," she called, turning to the archer with concerned eyes. "We have to leave now."  
He nodded, readying his bow while she packed up what little they had. As they crept down the stairs to the main hall of the inn, Regalas felt that sense of danger once more, and turned to find one of the black riders sitting at a table as if waiting for them. Arrow aimed towards the man, Regalas knit his brow. "What do you want?"  
The cloaked man's voice was cracked and raspy as he stood up. "The will of the Emperor," came the reply. He stepped forward, heavy armored boots thudding against the wood floor. Regalas tried to see through the shadows of the man's hood, but it seemed like they did not wish to reveal the one who wore the cloaks. "You are to be brought back to Tylon and stand trial for your crimes."  
"Crimes?" Regalas chuckled. "And what crimes are those?"  
"Treason to the ruler of this world."  
That was the last straw. "The true ruler of Hyrule is far from your hands," he snapped, readying to fire. "You shall not find the princess, and even if Ganondorf now rules, he is not our king!"  
The cloaked form paused, then drew a nasty looking serrated blade sword from his side. "The judgement thus is guilty," he rasped, stepping towards archer and Sage. "The sentence is death!"  
Nell let out a gasp as two more black cloaked men burst into the inn. Regalas fired his arrow, then restrung and twisted his body while turning his bow and hand holding the arrow upside down before letting the second shot fly. Both forms stumbled back, but neither fell, an impossibility; both had been struck clean through their heads!  
"I don't think these things are mortal," the young forest Sage stated while Regalas folded his bow and stored it on his belt. His sword flashed out while they backed away from the threesome of what they now assumed to be wraiths.  
As his eyes glanced about, Regalas smiled and tossed his weapon up to catch it by the blade. "How good is your sorcery?" he asked quickly, aiming for the first of the cloaked wraiths. "Can you put enough of an enchantment on my sword to keep him down for a while?"  
"I can try." Nell closed her eyes, whispering in the ancient tongue of the first Hylians. A glow burst out around her while Regalas flung his sword, light blazing around the blade just before it struck the wraith directly in the chest and brought him down.  
"Go!" the archer yelled, racing forward with Nell following right behind him. He didn't pause to recover his sword, it would only delay them and give the downed wraith a chance to strike back. He cast his own spell at the wall and blew it open, jumping over the debris and turning back with bow drawn back out and arrowed while Nell reached his side. "_Elya mallah nenya thah,_" he chanted, causing the head of his arrow to flare brightly with a fiery red light. "Things are about to get a little hot."  
His aim rang true the moment he let go. Regalas' arrow dug deep into one of the wraiths, lighting him on fire and starting a blaze as he screamed and ran about trying to put out his cloaks. It was then that Regalas saw the face of his enemy, or at least, there should have been a face there. Instead, there was a skull with almost no skin left on it, Glowing yellow dots marked where there should have been eyes. These creatures were indeed wraiths and not living beings, more mind than the _naz'gua_, but less than living.  
"Run," he stated, backing away slowly from the hole. "Run!"  
Nell had no arguments as they raced away from the inn. Regalas whistled sharply, causing Epona to kick her way out of the stables and chase them down. The archer took only the time to help Nell on before he too mounted Epona and kicked her side to get her running.  
"Get them!" the burning wraith cried, his cloak now on the ground as he abandoned it. It was plain to all what he was now, but being one already dead, he had no need to hide his existence. "Get the Sage, the Emperor wants her alive!" 

Elsewhere, in Kira'tha, Celestia awoke to sounds coming from outside. Her slender ears tilted slightly to garner more, but it was then that Impa moved to see what was going on. What was unnerving was the fact she wore a dark blue jumpsuit, the mark of the Sheikah on the belt buckle while light armor plates were obviously placed underneath the fabric at the chest. A face mask covered the woman's lower face, telling Celestia that trouble was expected.  
"What's happening?"  
Impa looked back at the princess only briefly. "Ironknuckles," she whispered, drawing out the short single sided sword that was hooked on to the back of her belt. "They're looking for someone, that much is sure. Stay here." And she vanished into the night, not a sound made.  
It seemed like forever before she returned, except that there was some kind of fluid stained onto her bodysuit. It couldn't be blood, the color of the stains was a deep purple instead of the blue blood of Hylians.  
"Does Ganondorf know I'm here?"  
Impa shook her head and pulled off her belt. "No," she replied, but still kept watch at the window. The look in her eyes was frightening, Celestia had never seen it in the woman before. "There is other news we have only now received," Impa continued, looking back to the princess. "The Sword Magnus vanished at the battle of Hyrule Castle."  
Celestia's three hearts almost stopped. The only new person to have been at the castle then was that boy who had be with Regalas Veradal. He was the Sword Magnus, that innocent, sweet looking boy? Why had she not heard before?  
"News did not reach until now because it was doubted the report was true," Impa stated, knowing exactly what the girl had been thinking. "And yes, it was the child we saw before we fled, his name was Harkin Tridelan."  
Tridelan! The Beloved of the Goddess, surely that Clan would be arriving to battle Ganondorf for such a crime. It was then that her soul fell from hope. It had been two and a half years since that terrible day. If the Clan Tridelan had not retaliated then, they would not do so now, not with Ganondorf in such a place of great power.  
Impa looked back out the window, then narrowed her eyes. "We must also leave very soon for a new home," came the dreaded words. "If Ganondorf is searching here, he has realized at last that you would be hidden with those of the Shadows. When the sun rises, we leave for Durin."  
"Durin?" Celestia gasped. "But that's a Drow city, they're Ganondorf's loyalist allies!"  
"Only those in the deep of Kazah'dur," Impa replied with a bit of insulted pride. "If you had been able to study the ancestry of the Sheikah, you would know that we are descended of the Drow who came back to the surface and begged forgiveness for the pride of their forefathers." She sighed, looking back out the window with wary eyes. "The Sheikah are a half-blood race, born from Drow and Hylians, that is why the Shadows aid us if they are not allied to evil." With another glance to the princess, she gave an almost motherly look. "That is your heritage, young one."  
Celestia looked down as if shamed. She had been noticing that there were odd similarities between the Drow and the Sheikah, this revelation merely made the connection all the more obvious. It also explained the tendency for the Sheikah to have white hair. Her own hair had been gaining thin streaks of white, possibly from her exposure to the powers that the Sheikah bore.  
Evidently, Impa sensed that thought as well. "It is not from your time with us," she whispered. "Here or in Hyrule Castle, those marks would have shown up, and you know very well why."  
A nod. "Father never let me talk about it, even in private because of the risk," the princess whispered as she fingered her brown hair. "Never let me talk to anyone about my mother, only that she was to be presumed dead...but I know that was not true." She looked up. "My mother never became queen, so they said she died giving birth to me. I know the truth though, father told me when I was old enough."  
"Then you know why you have always been different," Impa said in reply. "And you know where your mother has always been."  
"The people would never accept it though," Celestia continued for the Sheikah. "That's why she stepped out and hid herself as someone else, yet still being in a place to raise me."  
Impa had to resist giving a smile. Indeed, the princess had learned and had a keen mind for putting things together. She had been taught well. It was that same keen mind that would be Ganondorf' undoing. "Get some sleep," she stated softly. "We leave early, before the sun rises." 

Daybreak came in Teramin, and Regalas and Nell were still riding fast towards the mountain home of the Gorons in the region. It seemed that the wraiths had broken off their chase once the sun rose, because they had vanished the moment its light crept over the mountains. Regalas was starting to ponder more and more about what those creatures had come from, but for now, he assumed they had been created from Drow.  
Epona was still at full gallop, but her riders could tell that she was tiring out. Regalas finally brought her to a stop and let her rest while he and Nell had to eat what little food they had managed to bring from the inn. His sense that danger was near still burned in his mind, but it was not as severe as it had been in the port. It seemed that the closer they came to the Goron home in the mountains, the safer they were.  
Nell sat with here eyes close, whispering in a language Regalas knew was that of the forest spirits. He did not know what her words meant though, only assuming that she was asking for the protection of the forest on their journey. It was a good day or more to the Goron city of Dra'gorah where Darunia lived, and they needed all the grace they could get to make it.  
"I wonder how the princess is doing in these times," he muttered, casting his gaze to the skies. For once, they were clear, but he knew that back in Tylon, it was perpetually clouded. "Can only hop God's still watching."  
Nell perked her ears at that. "The Gods, you mean," she stated, surprised when he shook his head.  
"The Gods are no longer the Gods," Regalas explained sadly. "Ganondorf killed Latyra and Harkanian, thus, until the day Tridela returns, we have only One God. It's an oddity, I know, but it's sadly the truth. As such, such terms as 'the Gods' are no longer true, so I just say it in singular. There was a time when we didn't refer to the Gods by Their names, only by title. Perhaps it's time we gave Alahyde a bit more reverence and resumed that practice."  
Nell was quiet. She had noticed that Regalas did not call on his own Clan's patron God as she knew the Clans normally did in troubled times, but had assumed it to be he felt that he had to prove himself capable on his own unless truly in need. To now learn that two of the Gods had been dead for over a year, it all made sense now. "It does still sound odd though," she finally said. "To hear only the singular of 'God' rather than the Gods."  
He nodded, taking a small bite of an apple as he looked at the sky. "I know, even I've found myself forgetting the state of the Celestial Hierarchy. In the past year though, I've come to be used to it, knowing that so long as Alahyde is still there, we have a chance." He smiled as Epona trotted over and got to his feet. "Well, I think she's ready to keep going. You up to it?"  
With a nod, Nell mounted the horse before Regalas climbed on. The man nudged his horse in the side and held their course towards the mountains. If they had any place that was a safe haven for the time being, it was Dra'gorah. 

As it turned out, the Lost Woods were not unique to merely Tylon. Somehow, they had formed here in the Teramin continent, which had led Regalas to trust his instincts and take them into the forest. It had taken longer than when he had Harkin to guide him, but the small voice in the winds led him out of the woods and to the base of the mountains. Regalas was swift to lead then into the road that lead into the side of the mountain, but soon enough, he could not find the way to the Goron city.  
"Now how do we find Darunia?" he growled, then heard something draw near. He reached for his side, then remembered that he no longer had his sword. Second instinct taking over, he readied his bow, then sighed in relief when the source of the noise was in fact a Goron approaching them. "Thank God," he said as he dismounted Epona. "I was wondering how we would find our way to the city."  
"What business do you have with the Gorons of Dra'gorah?!" the Goron snapped, holding up a spear. Regalas was a bit taken back by the harsh words, he had never been so ill received before. "Speak!"  
Nell slid down to the ground and bowed to the guard. "I am Nell, Sage of the Forest," she greeted. The Goron seemed to relax a bit as she showed the mark on the back of her left hand. "We seek to find Darunia, the Sage of Fire, there is great need for his powers."  
The Goron eyed Regalas, then finally nodded. "Follow me, I will take you to the city." He turned and stepped right through the stone wall. Regalas and Nell looked at each other, then slowly stepped to the stone, they and Epona passing through to reveal that the rock was nothing more than an illusion.  
"Hurry up!" the gruff voice of the Goron guard called. The Hylians and the horse heeded his words and raced to reach him, soon being led to the great underground city that spanned for miles in all directions save the one they came from. Their guide gestured for them to follow still, taking them to a large temple like part of the Goron city and standing there.  
The Hylians thanked him for his help, leaving Epona at the entrance, and continued inward to see that it indeed was a shrine temple, decorated all over with the art of the Gorons. A large but chisel built Goron sat in meditation at the end of the room. A huge flock of stone hair adorned the back of his head like a crown, while a large beard of the same consistency grew from his chin. He opened his large eyes to see the two Hylians and slowly rose to his feet.  
"To what honor am I graced by your arrival, Sage of Forest?" he greeted, bowing even as Nell did to show the mutual respect between them. "If I had know of your coming, a feast would have been prepare to honor this occasion."  
"I'm afraid, Darunia, it would have merely delayed our cause," Nell replied softly, and she turned to Regalas. "This man is Regalas Veradal, from the clan of Latyra. I'm afraid that he must bring you the news that I have only now been given."  
Darunia tilted his head to the man and nodded for him to speak. Regalas took a breath before relaying the news of Harkanian and Latyra's deaths at the hands of Ganondorf. The Goron Sage indeed was disturbed by such tidings, but it seemed he had already felt that something had happened, and the news only confirmed what he had feared. It was then that he also learned of the defeat of the Sword Magnus as well, leading him to truly despair.  
"Then we have no hope," he mused, resuming his position of sitting on the floor. "Without the Sword Magnus, no power can fight the might of the TryForce and the one who holds it."  
"That's why we've come to you," Regalas continued. "It's very possible that with all seven Sages, we can open a gate into the Sacred Realm and seal Ganondorf. I know it cannot hold him forever, but it will buy us the time we need for another Sword Magnus to be chosen."  
Darunia glanced to the Hylian man. The plan was indeed a solid one, but there was one major flaw to it all, one that he was sure Regalas was aware of. "Only four Sages are awakened and known," he stated. "Without the other three, we cannot seal this monster away."  
Regalas nodded. Indeed, he was aware of that fact, but he was also not about to lose all hope. "That's why Raura is searching as well. We parted ways a year and a half ago, going separate ways in our search. He went to find the Sage of Water when I last spoke to him, but I've not heard from him since."  
Darunia could see the worry in Regalas' eyes and smiled. "You need not worry for Raura," he stated kindly. "He lives still, and I feel that he has joined the Sage of Water."  
"And what of the remaining Sages?"  
Darunia again went into his meditative state. Images flashed in his mind as he sought to find the last three Sages they needed. What he found was that two had indeed Awakened, but the third was near their time. His eyes suddenly snapped open, and he turned to Regalas. "The Shadow has awakened in Tylon," he reported. "The Spirit in the deserts near there."  
"That means once we get back to Tylon," Regalas replied in joy, "we can start looking for the other Sages! What of the Sage of Light?"  
It was then that the knowing gaze of Darunia seemed to pierce the man's soul. "You yourself will find the Sage of Light," was the response. "Or the Sage of Light will find you. Either way, your fate is bound to the Light." He narrowed his eyes, knowing that he could not tell everything, but what he said was enough. "We must go, the journey to the Trindon continent is long, and that into Tylon longer." 

As Darunia had said, the voyage was long. The unfortunate problem of travel ever since Ganondorf had conquered was that the ability to translocate was very unstable now, meaning that unless one wished to risk ending up in the wrong place, or trapped in limbo, they had to take the long route. That included travel by sea.  
Regalas was relieved that they encountered no more wraiths as they had in the port village days after on their arrival into the Teramin continent, but the journey back to Trindon was not as speedy as the one from. The currents seemed against them the whole way, and only the constant winds kept them on course. The crew of the ship knew that Alahyde himself was guiding them to the central continent of Hyrule, but the purpose was unclear save to those three who had a mission there.  
It was an entire year more before they finally reached Lybranna. Nell stopped at her Temple to make sure that things were alright, but found that the Forest Temple had become infested with wild creatures. She had almost broken down in tears, but fought past that pain, knowing that even if her home was overrun, she still was empowered and had her duty.  
It was the journey back into Tylon that was the most time consuming. Because Regalas was hunted by Ganondorf's armies, they could not just simply walk into the country, they had to delve their way in through stealth. By the time Tylon had been entered and the Gorons of the Carath Mountains met, it had been eight more months. Regalas was always wary that only one year were now left before Raura's vision came true, and before they would either defeat Ganondorf, or fail and witness his reign of all Creation. 

Far off in Holodrum, Raura had spent the last few years with Froru the Sage of Water, planning how they would create the seal once all seven Sages were gathered. Both had felt the awakening of the three missing Sages would soon happen, and like Darunia, Raura had seen where the Sages of Shadow and Spirit would awaken. The Sage of Light, however, he could not find, as if Alahyde wished for it to be revealed only when the time came.  
It was late into the night as he and Froru traveled back into Tylon. One of Raura's worst fears had come to pass in those four years; Galia, the nation that would not aid in the war against Ganondorf, had pledged loyalty to the Dark King of Evil. Berath had indeed, as feared, taken the side of the TryForce holder and sworn allegiance to the Dark God Dragmire. The Harkanians in Catalia still had not moved in offensive against Ganondorf, but they did still fight against his power as best they could, but their nation still was under his hand.  
"I'm afraid," the old Sage said as they passed through the woods leading to Mido Village. "Unless we find where the last Sage will awaken, we will stand no chance. I'm beginning to wonder if these old bones will make it to the end."  
Froru smiled kindly to Raura. "We'll find the Sage of Light, I have no doubts on that. We just need get to the Temple of Light, it's the best place to look."  
He nodded, then stopped when a rustling of leaves was heard. He tilted his head, ears tuned to the faintest breath. "We're being hunted," he whispered, Froru readying a spell for battle. Raura, conversely, held his staff like a weapon. It was then that he knew what stalked them.  
Moblins.  
The squat-faced creatures burst out of the trees, all armed with spears and surrounding the two Sages. One of them, his left ear notched, gave a grin and stepped closer. "Our lord, the Emperor Ganondorf, requests your presence," he stated. The tone in his voice indicated that the "request" was indeed a demand. "You will come with us."  
"We will do no such thing," Raura spat, poking the moblin in the chest with his staff. "You go back to _ul_ Dragmire and tell him that we Sages do not recognize any such authority from a thief."  
The moblin narrowed his eyes and swat the Sage to the ground. Just as Froru moved to unleash her spell, another moblin grabbed her, the magic diffusing back into primal essence. The leader grinned while Raura climbed back to his feet and held his spear at the Sage. "You will obey his command."  
A flash and he screamed, backing away. The moblin grabbed his arm and pulled out a thin blade that had been lodged directly in his shoulder joint. Pain shot through the left shoulder when he tried to lift his spear, causing him to release it. "Who would dare?!" the moblin bellowed in rage, looking around as he heard movement in the trees, but he couldn't get a bearing on the source; the sound was coming from all over.  
"The Sages will not be harmed by your hands," stated a sharp and young female voice. The moblins all began looking around, but there was no sign of the voice's owner. That's when it spoke again.  
"Leave them, or the Shadow will befall you!"  
The lead moblin snarled in disgust. How dare someone make threats to them, they were the hand of the Emperor Ganondorf _ul_ Dragmire, lord of all Hyrule, and master of Creation! "Face us, coward!" he bellowed, only for yet another blade to flash down and strike him, then time dead center between his eyes and straight into his brain. The moblin didn't even have time to blink before he fell dead.  
"I give you your final warnings!" the voice rang out. "Leave them be, or the vengeance of the Shadow will be upon you all!"  
The moblins stood their ground, ignoring the demands of the voice. It was only to be expected.  
"Very well. Face the hand of the Shadows."  
A blinding light flared but a moment, yet that was all which was need. Something, Hylian, or other, Raura and Froru could not tell, slammed into the nearest Moblin, then in a blur cut another down across the throat. In mere seconds, three moblins out of the six there had been were on the ground, dead as stone. The most amazing thing though, was that the force which had done this was a single person.  
She stood and turned to face the remaining three moblins. Brown hair came out from under the grey wrapping cap on her head while blazing red eyes glared in anger. In her hands was a short single sided blade, now stained with the brown blood of moblins. Her lower face was hidden by a mask, but her body suit made it clear what she was.  
Blue running from her shoulders to her leg joints and down the sides of her legs while light grey made up the rest, blue sections covered her arms from the elbows to her hands. Red boots were on her feet, and the red eye of the Sheikah was on her chest. She took a combative stance while waiting. It was her way of giving the moblins a last chance to flee. They chose to reject it and met their deaths all to quickly.  
Raura was left speechless by the scene he had witnessed. This girl was obviously a Sheikah warrior, from her movements if not her attire. It was Froru who save him the trouble of thanking her.  
"We are in your debt, miss."  
The Sheikah turned to them, then sheathed her weapon in a back mounted holder. "It's not wise to travel these woods at night," she stated with a cold tone. "I'll lead you out."  
Froru nodded as she and Raura followed the young Sheikah warrior through the forest. No other creatures dared attack, and it was not long before they exited the forest near what was obviously a Sheikah village. The girl turned and bowed to them, then pulled out a small orb. "I leave you here."  
"Wait!" Raura called. The girl paused just as she was about to throw down the ball. "What is your name?" the Sage asked. "So that if we meet again, we'll know what to address you by."  
A flash in her eyes. "I am Sheik," she stated, then threw down the ball and vanished in a flash of light. No trace of her save footprints where she had stood remained. Raura narrowed his eyes, sensing there was something familiar about the girl Sheik, but he could not place it.  
He nodded to Froru and walked with her into the village. No one kept them from meeting with the village leaders, who recognized Raura and afforded him their respect.  
"We know why you have come," the village leader, a Sheikah by the name of Narikah, said before sipping from a cup. Raura knew that the contents were a very strong drink that only the Sheikah made, but accepted it when offered as not to offend the leaders.  
"Visions told me that the Sage of Shadow would awaken in Tylon," he stated after sipping down his drink. "Since the Sheikah are those born of the Light and Shadow, I thought that the Sage would be a Sheikah."  
Narikah nodded and set his cup down. He glanced to Froru, noting that she was quite young for a Sage. Then again, age meant nothing in the fate of one to be a Sage. The past had well shown that. "None here bear the signs," he finally said, regret in his voice. "However, there are some Sheikah living in the Drow village of Durin not far from here. Durin is only a mile from the Temple of Shadow, it's most likely that it is there the Sage you seek will awaken."  
Raura nodded and slowly stood, expressing his thanks to the Sheikah. As he and Froru were departing, the old Sage paused and turned back to the village leader. "A question," he remarked. "We were save from a group of moblins by a young Sheikah woman, she claimed her name was Sheik. Do you know her?"  
Narikah seemed to hesitate, then slowly nodded. "We know her," he replied, but then shook his head. "However, we have never seen her face in full, only her eyes and hair."  
"She doesn't live in this village?"  
Again, Narikah shook his head. "We know not where she is from, only that she appears when she is needed or desires."  
Raura again bowed, then led Froru out of the village. It was when they had reached a good distance that she finally spoke. "We're going to the Drow then?" she asked. Raura could sense the doubt in her voice, but still nodded.  
"The Drow of Durin are our allies, my young Sage. That village is near them because Durin is where some of the first Sheikah were born as a half-blood race." He smiled faintly as he waved his hands and opened a temporal vortex. "I think we can risk such travel here, it is not far."  
Still hesitant, Froru walked into the rift with the Sage vanished just as he when it shut. She could only hope that they indeed came out in the area of Durin. Even with Raura's control of Time, nothing was for certain anymore.  
  


To Be Continued...  



	5. The Final Year

  
  
Light flashed outside the Drow city of Durin. After a moment, it tore open and deposited Raura and Froru on the ground. The young Water Sage breathed with relief, for she had not been sure if they would complete the transit. It was then she felt the odd looks of confusion that were around them. She glanced to see several of the Drow watching her and Raura.  
"Not many save the servants of Ganondorf choose such ways of travel," one of the city guards stated as he approached. Froru instantly noticed that on his armor was the mark of the golden TryForce. It was a sign that they were indeed in friendly lands. "May I ask why you risk such?"  
"We seek to find the Sheikah Sage of Shadow," Raura replied. He pulled back the sleeve of his robes to show the mark of Time on his hand. "There may be a way to end the reign of Ganondorf, but we do not have the grace of time on our side."  
The Drow nodded and led them into the city. Froru, who had never been in a city of the Drow before, found it odd that it was much fashioned after the city in Hyrule Castle. The different was that this city had a more deadly appearance to it, as if designed to not just repel, but to utterly destroy invaders. Perhaps that was why it still stood.  
They came to a stop before what obviously was a home in the style of the Sheikah designs. The soldier bid them farewell before returning to his post, and Raura knocked on the door of the home. Who answered the call, he had not expected at all. "By Alahyde," he whispered, then finally smiled to his old friend. "Impa, you're alive!"  
"Did you expect less?" The Sheikah warrior grinned and gestured for her guests to enter. Froru bowed to the woman and took a seat, looking around and noticing several things that, compared to the Sheikah homes she had seen before, seemed quite out of place. A necklace was hanging from some kind of handcrafted display. As she took a closer look, the young Sage found the mark of the Royal family in the pendent piece of the necklace.  
"Are you of some relation to the Alahydes?" she asked. Impa and Raura looked to her, and then the female of the two shook her head.  
"That belonged to someone I was given charge of," Impa stated, bringing Raura a warm cup of something that looked like tea, but the smell was a bit different, almost like deku leaves.  
Raura nodded, then glanced at his old friend. "Speaking of whom, where is she? I would have expected to see our young heir here with you if you are the Sheikah that Narikah spoke of living here with the Drow."  
Impa hesitated before she sighed. "Celestia has...departed. She's still alive, quite well, but for the past year, I have not seen much of her. She went off to check on things at Hyrule Castle despite my warnings."  
"Does she know about..."  
A nod. "She very much figured things out on her own about her bloodline through her mother, and where her mother really was." Impa knit her brow and took a deep breath before letting it out again. "I suppose it was rather obvious to her, but as far as anyone else could tell, she was just the sad victim of cruel fate to be without her mother."  
"Excuse me," Froru softly quipped. Both Raura and Impa turned to her, and her face went red almost instantly. "Forgive me, but may I ask what this is about?"  
"I suppose now is as good a time as any to drop the deceptions," Raura mused, Impa nodding in agreement. "You know how the story goes of how Celestia's mother died giving birth, correct?" He continued when Froru nodded. "Well, it was a lie, to protect her mother and Celestia. We knew that people would possibly reject an heir if it was know she was a Sheikah half-blood, so it was said that the mother died, and her origins not revealed."  
"The princess is a Sheikah?" Froru arced her brow in interest. Things were now starting to fit. "What about her mother?"  
Imp continued from that point. "Her mother accepted that she could not reveal herself and stepped back to watch Celestia from a position that would garner no suspicion." A smile flashed on her lips. "Nursemaid to the infant princess, which in turn would become her tutor and personal protector."  
"When Celestia reached her Age," Raura said and he took over the explanation, "her mother took on a different role as personal aide to King Grevian, but was also still the princess' teacher."  
Froru nodded, then suddenly realized something. Princess Celestia, at the time of Ganondorf's rise to power, had been only fourteen, merely a year after having come of age. That meant her mother had still been there when Impa took the princess to the Sheikah...but _Impa_ had been Grevian's aide. It was then that everything fell into place.  
"Impa?" she whispered. "You're Celestia's mother?"  
The Sheikah slowly nodded, again that smile on her lips. "Indeed I am, young one. Grevian and I met when he stayed in my village for a time to learn our ways, before his father had passed away and given the throne of Hyrule to him. We fell in love, and I did indeed bear his daughter."  
"Then why the deceptions?"  
"As I explained," Raura began again, "The people of Tylon most likely would not have accepted a Sheikah blooded heir, so Impa kept her past hidden and took the name Hera while dying her hair so that it would be believed that she was a normal Hylian." He smiled and sipped down his tea before continuing. "I aided her in that respect by handling the infusion to keep her hair color a nice brown while she was in the public eye. You may be interested to know though, that she is not as young as one thinks."  
"I am over sixty years of age," Impa stated, shocking Froru. "We Sheikah inherited some of the long life spans of our Drow ancestors and thus, begin to age much slower once we begin our coming of age. Celestia does not have that in her, but she will have a long life."  
It was then that Froru remembered part of the reason they had come. "Do you know where we could find the Sage of Shadow?" she asked. "I know it's a bit off the topic, but it is why we came here."  
It was then that Impa's eyes went slim. She nodded and stood up before walking to the back of the room. "Indeed, I know where to find her."  
"Her?" Raura mused, most interested. "The warrior Sheik is the Sage?"  
Impa turned sharply, the look in her eyes one of shock. "You've met Sheik?" she asked, her expression going near fright when the two Sages nodded. "The Sage she is not, but someone that is to be wary of, she is."  
"You know this Sheik, I assume?"  
Impa nodded confirmation. "I taught Sheik myself...along with Celestia, but she was impatient and left around the same time Celestia did. I hear word now and then of her appearance, but she does not come near this city."  
"Someone to have as an ally," Froru stated. "She saved us from a group of moblins and led us to the Sheikah village not far from here."  
Raura, while Impa began to tell the young Sage why they should not seek the aid of Sheik, noticed something in the back of the room. What appeared to be a bundle of brown hair lay as some kind of memorial. He recognized the hair as Celestia's, he had seen her enough times to know the aura, but something else seemed to permeate the feeling, some kind of anger and desire.  
He pushed it from his mind. "Impa," he called, turning back to the Sheikah. "You said you knew the Sage of Shadow. If you could take us to her, this old man would be most grateful."  
"You need not look, for she stands before you," Impa stated, pulling her glove off to reveal the dark purple mark of the Shadow symbol. "I was Awakened mere nights ago when I went into the Shadow Temple."  
Froru looked to Raura. They both knew that this meant they need seek only two more Sages before they could seal Ganondorf away. Raura still worried though, for although he had seen where the Sage of Spirit would awaken, he had no visions as to the location of the Sage of Light.  
Screams suddenly broke the tense silence. Impa snapped her head in the direction of the voices and grabbed her weapon from where it lay on a stand. "Stay here," she commanded, drawing the single sided blade from its sheath. "There's trouble."  
Trouble was an understatement. As Impa reached the site of the scream, she found several Drow laying dead, but there were no wounds at all, only the looks of horror pasted on the faces of the victims. She turned, pondering who could have done this kind of murder. It was then that she got her answer.  
The black form stepped out from the shadows, a sword of flame in his hand. Black armor was on his body, the image of a skull on the chest plate, but it seemed like there were other, more ethereal faces on the armor, each one screaming out in pain. "Sheikah," he spat, pulling back the shadows that cloaked his face. Impa gasped as she saw what he was; a Drow, but of night black skin instead of the blue that both Drow of the underdark and of the surface had. His eyes burned like red hot coals, revealing that he was quite not mortal. He raised his sword, flames shifting with it. "I know who you are. It is you who robbed me of the Princess that day!"  
"I would do it again if she were here," Impa snapped, holding her blade back along her arm while taking a defensive stance. "She has already left in the company of another though, so she's quite able to handle herself."  
The demonic warrior chuckled and stepped towards Impa. "Indeed," came his reply. "It so happens I care not for her now, it is you, Sage of the Shadows, that I want!"  
Ganondorf already knew of her Awakening?! Impa narrowed her eyes, it was impossible for him to learn already. This man did not have the dark Emperor's foul smell about him, it was something else. She then realized that this was the wandering knight of death she had been hearing about, the Shadow hand of the Inferno, Ba'al. Her eyes locked onto the sword of fire he held.  
"You know who I am," he whispered, stepping closer and closer. "Good, that makes this so much more interesting."  
"Take one more step and your throat will be spilled upon the ground!" Impa shouted, slightly altering her stance to hold the blade more forward.  
Ba'al smiled and continued. "Such a loud voice," he remarked, pausing before he was in reaching distance of the woman. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that's why your brother beat you as a child."  
Eyes went wide. This man knew about that?! How? How could he know of her abusive brother, how he beat her after their parents had died? How did he know of the pain she had endured when she had begun training as a Sheikah warrior, the utter mocking words her cruel brother threw at her, that she would never be anything but a failure?  
"You wonder this." He chuckled and lowered his sword but a bit. "I know everything about you, Impa Darkblade of the Sheikah. I know your own self-torture, I know how cruel your brother was, how he cared not one bit for you at all! In fact, he would have rather you died in your quest to be what you are, and I know it all, straight from his soul that burns in the Inferno!" Again, he laughed, a cruel and hollow laugh that reminded Impa of the one she had heard when Ganondorf conquered Hyrule Castle. "Just as all those I kill burn, so shall you, Sage!"  
He surged forward, slashing with his blade. Impa managed to dodge it by sheer moments, but instead of coming back up, she felt a wave of utter torment sweep through her soul, causing her to misstep and fall back. Lakes of fire flashed in her eyes, souls screaming out for release, it was the vision of a nightmare. Was this the Inferno, the domain of the Lord of Flames?  
"You see it," Ba'al said mockingly as he allowed her time to resume her footing. "You see what awaits all of this world, by my hand or Dragmire's. The lake of fire, the brimstone, the endless screams of the damned." He grinned, raising his flaming sword again and taking a step forward. Impa backed away, not wanting to feel that fire again, but she stopped knowing that she had to if this beast was to be defeated.  
"What name does your master go by?" she asked with contempt. "So that I may know who it is we will hunt down and deprive of those he has stolen from Ieyadon."  
"You truly think that you can fight the power of Mephistopheles?!" Ba'al yelled in amusement. His eyes flared to burn brightly, his sword rising to aim at Impa once more. The means was no longer intimidate this woman, her fate would be to die and suffer eternally. "Prepare for the Fire."  
He stepped forward, flames leaping from his sword. Impa barely dodged, but that wave of darkness hit her again, and the vision of evil was so much more clear. A great beast stood amid the fire and the souls, laughing in joy while the screams from his prisoners cried out for help. The total despair and horror that swept over her caused her to again fall. This time, Ba'al did not grant her the chance to rise again. He was there in a flash, sword hanging over the woman's head and force her to feel the anguish that was the Inferno.  
"Without you," he whispered. "They cannot seal Ganondorf away, which means yet another chance for my master to take the TryForce and surpass Dragmire. Make sure that my lord knows that my task is progressing well."  
Impa could only stare in horror and he raised his sword to cleave through her, then saw a slim flash cut through his armor and into his shoulder. Ba'al screamed as he was forced to pull back from killing his victim, allowing Impa to roll away from him and get to her feet. "Who..." she muttered, then saw the blue and white clad form standing atop her home.  
"It seems my instincts were right," the young warrior known as Sheik called, leaping down with a flip and facing Ba'al with blade drawn. In an instant, the demonic knight ran forward, slashing at Sheik, but she bent back perfectly and slammed her feet into his face when he missed. Both Impa and Ba'al stared in shock; his sword had not affected Sheik at all!  
"Brave, are you?" he growled, swinging again only for the young female to draw out another blade and block. He grinned as he tried to see the fear in her eyes, but instead, there was only fire there, a fire that seemed to be fighting off the fire of his master. Ba'al could not understand it. How could this Sheikah be resisting the touch of the Inferno, how could she be fighting his power? He pulled back and feinted high, then thrust forward when Sheik had taken the false action.  
Impa opened her mouth to scream, but found no sound coming. The total amazement of what she now saw was beyond her understanding. Ba'al sword had struck true into Sheik's exposed mid-riff, but the girl was un-affected completely! She wasn't writhing in pain or screaming in agony from the fires of the Inferno, she was simply standing there, eyes glaring at a horrified Ba'al.  
"I hope you do know that your sword is now worthless," she spat only moments before roundhousing him hard in the head, causing him to hit the ground and drop his weapon of flame. Sheik took the opportunity, flashed out her blades, and pinned the Drown to the ground. He was completely horrified by how easily this Sheikah, this girl had bested him. She bent down to his face, not even blinking in the slightest.  
"You wish to know why you cannot touch me with the fires of your Master?" she asked in a calm, yet some how, so frightening voice. "I do not fear the Inferno, I do not fear Dragmire's armies, and I do not fear death. My only enemy is fear, demon, it is the only thing I have to fear, and I am not afraid anymore."  
That so young a person not only bested him, but had completely conquered his power terrified Ba'al beyond all belief. There was someone who had gone beyond the reach of his master, someone that the Inferno simply could not touch. How could this be, when darkness was in all souls, the very fact that allowed his power to bind them into damnation against their fate.  
And then he saw why. Sheik had cast out the darkness, rejected it completely, killing only when no other choice was left, but at the same time regretting it all. She had rejected the darkness in her soul by rejecting fear, not afraid to die, not afraid to face the Inferno at all, for she accepted that things ended.  
"Leave now," she hissed, pulling her weapons from Ba'al's shoulders and walking back while keeping and eye on him. "Go back to your master and do not return, or the vengeance of the Gods will take retribution."  
He snarled in anger, taking his sword and vanishing in a burst of fire and brimstone. Sheik sheathed her twin weapons and helped Impa to her feet, then turned to leave. She was just pulling out the flash ball when Impa called for her to wait.  
"What do you want?"  
"Why do you always run?" Impa asked. She too sheathed her blade, taking a step towards the masked girl. "Whenever I see you, you vanish and leave not a trace. I know who you are, Sheik, how could I not know?!"  
A pause as the girl seemed to halt from using the flash ball. She lowered her hand slightly while she turned to face Impa. "She's dead," Sheik stated coldly. "She died three years ago, and I'm what was born. You helped make me, Impa, you should know better than anyone that Sheik is who I am."  
Before Impa could reply, she threw down the flash ball, gone in an instant. The woman could only drop her head in sorrow, then walked back into her home. Raura's eyes told that he knew everything which had happened, but that he still did not know everything. "I suppose I should be leaving with you," she finally said sadly. "Ba'al will be after me again, the least I can do is draw him away from Durin."  
Raura only nodded and looked to Froru. "We should prepare to leave," he stated, getting up and moving to the door. "Impa, we shall depart Durin when you are ready. Pack light but enough, we have a long journey ahead of us to the Gerudo Valley." 

As Impa, Raura and Froru began the long journey towards Gerudo Valley, Regalas and his group were trying the same thing, except their own road had become more delaying. Carath Mountain was on the extreme borders of Tylon, and since they were forced to sneak through the country, another year had gone by when they at last reached the plains of Rivedale. Regalas' heart sank more and more with each passing week. They were in the final year, and they still had yet to find the Sage of Light.  
It was at Rivedale that they saw a billowing rip in the fabric of reality. Regalas realized at one that this was where Ganondorf had entered the Realm of the Gods to slaughter Latyra and Harkanian. They could do nothing to seal it again, but they could at least give their prayers to Alahyde here. It was nightfall before they continued on towards what remained of Hyrule Castle, but the sight that welcomed them there were one of nightmares.  
Undead walked the streets, and the city which had once stood there was in ruins. A massive tower had been erected in place of the once grand castle of Hyrule, a tower they knew to be Ganondorf's own fortress. The trio, under cover of night, snuck to where the Temple of Time still stood. They knew they could find no one there, but a part of Regalas still hoped. The sight of the Master Sword, still laying where it had fallen four years ago, crushed all hope he had. Harkin had not returned, the Doors of Time were still shut...there would be no Sword Magnus.  
"Where to now?" Nell asked softly. Regalas looked back to her and Darunia, noting the wait in their eyes. They had been very understanding in his need to have hope of Harkin's return, but he had no right to force them into going with them here. They were Sages, and he was not.  
"The Temple of Light in Kokiri," he stated at last after minutes of silence. "It's where the Master Sword once rest, and it's where Alahyde appeared before Harkin." He finally smiled. "Maybe we'll find some clues to the Sage of Light there."  
Nell and Darunia nodded in agreement, and when chance allowed, they escaped the city and made way for the Kokiri Forests. Regalas found a ranch on the way there, or rather the remains of what had been a large ranch. They took the time to investigate, and Regalas was heartbroken to find that this was what had been Alakahde Ranch, Harkin's home. Bodies long dead for years lay in a disjointed pile, not even buried or burned, but left to the maggots and anything else that would feed on the corpses.  
"Those of Kazah'dur disgust me," Darunia spat as he looked upon the scene. "They would bury their own, but not those they kill. Its an insult to the Gods..."  
Regalas only nodded and took the time to bury the remains properly. As he placed crude markers for the graves, he, Darunia, and Nell asked Alahyde to watch over the souls of those who had been killed her. They then continued on into the forest, guided by Regalas' memory towards the Temple, but when they got there, a horrible sight welcomed them.  
The servants of Ganondorf had overrun the Temple, moblins patrolling the entrance while other creatures were undoubtedly inside. That's when the blaze of black flame burst out and dropped a man clad in black to the ground. The moblins at once rushed towards him, but one strike of his sword and they were destroyed, incinerated by the flames of his blade. Regalas recognized the weapon; it was Ba'al, Mephistopheles' hand.  
Just as he moved to attack the demonic servant, Darunia grabbed him and shook his massive head. "Wait," the Goron stated, then turned to watch. Stalfos charged out from the ground. Just as the moblins before them, they were consumed by flames. Regalas understood now; enemy that Ba'al may be, he was merely clearing their way, but that would only last so far.  
"We have to stop him now," the archer whispered, slowly moving to follow Ba'al. "If he gets to the heart of the temple, he'll flood it with the fires of the Inferno."  
Darunia nodded and followed his Hylian companions, racing into the Temple while the remains of Ganondorf's forces burned on the ground. They were careful not to get Ba'al notice, then came to the chamber where the Master Sword had once slept. This place was the heart of the Temple of Light, but where was Ba'al?  
"I wondered when we would face again," came the cold voice. The three spun to see Ba'al standing behind them, sword raised to point at Regalas. He smiled and stepped forward, snapped his fingers, and laughed as a door slammed down to cut off the only exit from the chamber. "It's amazing how long you've lasted. Four years since that day in the Temple of Time, Regalas Veradal _dai_ Latyra. I was robbed of the Sword Magnus because of Ganondorf, but I will not be robbed of you!"  
He had nothing. His sword had been left back in Teramin two years ago, and in his eagerness to return home to Tylon, he had in that time neglected to get a new weapon. All he had was a bow and half a dozen arrows left in his quiver. He could only hope that would do some good.  
Regalas strung three arrows on the bow and aimed for Ba'al's hearts. His eyes narrowed, but in his hearts, he felt fear, fear of Ba'al's sword, fear of the Inferno he would be cast into if that wretched blade took his life, fear of failure. "Leave us be," he demanded still. "Your enemy is Ganondorf!"  
"My enemy is all with life in their bodies!" the demonic knight spat, a blaze shooting from his sword. Regalas and his companions scattered to dodge the flames, and he fired his arrows, all three hitting directly through Ba'al's armor. The Drow stumbled, then laughed and pulled the arrows out, much to Regalas' horror. "Fool! you can't kill me, I _am_ death!" He laughed and continued on towards Regalas, sword flaming hot. The Hylian could feel the heat of the Inferno now, the lakes of fire, the screams, the cries, and the horrible laughter of Mephistopheles. That ear splitting, high pitched cruel and terrible laugh.  
Suddenly, just as Ba'al swung down, Regalas saw through and realized something; it was _fear_ that gave the Inferno its power. Fear was the fuel to Ba'al sword, fear of death, of failure, of the Inferno itself. Fear was the ultimate tool of darkness. He dropped his bow and brought his hands up, catching the blade of fire, but this time it was not hot. The flames seemed to die at his touch. And that was when he saw the shock in Ba'al's eyes, not from his rejection of fear, but something else.  
Light filled the chamber, but the strangest thing was, it was not from the lanterns or even from a celestial being appearing. The light was coming from Regalas, dancing about him with a golden hue while a mark burned into the back of his hand. Ba'al back away in horror as he realized who Regalas was, why he had been bound to the Sword Magnus, and why he had fought his way here.  
It was him who was the Sage of Light.  
"No!" the Drow screamed, his sword defeated not once, but now twice. "No, this can't be happening! Not you!"  
As he stood, Regalas felt a voice echo in his mind, a soft voice that he knew well. It was the voice of Alahyde, telling him that he had at last passed the final test of his Awakening; he had rejected fear. "Leave my Temple now!" he bellowed, his voice carrying a power that was beyond that of any other sage. The chamber shook with the command, causing Ba'al to look about in fear. "You are not welcome in the place that I am charged with by God! Leave this Temple at once!"  
_God?!_ Ba'al thought in confusion. _Since when does a Hylian refer to only one God?!_  
The room again shook, this time more violently than before. Ba'al snarled and vanished in flames before it bring his end. As the blaze of his departure faded, Regalas let out a breath and smiled. "Thank you," he whispered softly, then looked to his now fellow Sages. "Is this what you meant?" he asked of Darunia. "When you said that I alone was fated to find the Sage of Light, or that he would find me?"  
The Goron smiled kindly as he nodded and patted Regalas on the back. "Indeed, Hylian. That is why I could not tell you as well. You never would have passed your test unless you discovered it for yourself."  
Nell giggled and walked over to the newly appointed Sage. "It seems you've joined the ranks. Now remember, there's a strict code we must all follow. No drinking, no having sexual relations-"  
"Whoa, kill all of life's fun why don't you!" Regalas cracked. "Nice try, but I happen to know for a fact that Sages are allowed to do normal things like all that, as appropriate."  
Darunia let out a hearty laugh and patted Regalas again on the shoulder. "Indeed we are, my boy! Otherwise, I would not have my son to train for carrying on as Sage of Fire when I die!"  
"_Regalas, it's Raura, can you hear me?!_"  
The archer perked up his ears. _I hear you, Raura. What is it?  
"Then it is true what I felt, you are the final Sage. We have found the Sages of Shadow and Spirit, the Spirit Sage is Queen Nabooru of the Gerudo, it seems that she was Awakened months ago. You must hurry here to the Gerudo Valley at once!"_  
Regalas turned to his fellow Sages. It seemed they too had heard Raura's words, for they nodded their heads in agreement and followed him out of the Temple. Regalas, knowing the forest well, found a way through to the outside, then saw something he did not expect here; they had entered, of all places, the Lost Woods. It was an impossibility where they were, but even then, he realized now what the Woods were.  
"Follow me," he stated, navigation himself and his companions through the trees. A small voice guided him, telling him how to reach where he needed to go. It wasn't long before they burst out of the woods into the entrance to the Gerudo Valley. Regalas looked back, but to his surprise, and that of Darunia and Nell, there was little more than the plains of Rivedale behind them. No forest or trees that could be called such.  
"The Lost Woods hold many mysteries," Darunia mused, then proceeded into the valley. They traveled not far before they found Gerudo guards waiting for them. Apparently, Raura had informed the Gerudo to expect such an odd company.  
"Regalas Veradal of the Clan Latyra?" one of the Gerudo asked. He nodded to her. "I am Iria, Queen Nabooru sent us to bring you to the fortress."  
The three gave no complaint as their guides brought them through the desert and to the sprawling battle fortress that was the center city of the Gerudo tribes. This was where they all had hailed from before the pilgrimages out into the world. The entire city was an amazing example of the Gerudo culture; built to withstand the desert sun for thousands of years, yet made from the very sands it was built upon. It was indeed a monument to their way of life.  
The guards led them into the central building of the city, then stopped once they reached a huge underground temple. Regalas and his companions looked about, realizing that this was the Temple of Spirit. They looked to their guides and were instructed that they were to enter the door at the far end of the massive chamber.  
As they did so, the three were welcomed by the sight of Raura, Froru, Impa and the Gerudo Queen Nabooru. "Raura!" Regalas cried.  
"It seems that so far," the old Sage replied after embracing the young man. "Your plan indeed is working. All seven Sages have been gathered...and it seems that Ganondorf will soon be in our reach to banish. He's coming here to the Gerudo fortress city, to wipe out his own kind."  
The three who had just arrived stared in horror at those words. Ganondorf had been born in this very city, he was a Gerudo, why did he want to kill his own blood? It made no sense. Evidentially, Raura could feel their thoughts.  
"We suspect that he wishes to prove himself as the ultimate evil, second only to his father." Raura knit his brow as he continued. "We also have word that Ba'al is on his way here as well, to destroy us before Ganondorf can.  
"We just fought Ba'al in the Temple of Light," Nell stated. Raura's eyes arced in surprise as to how the three had survived with no weapons to fight the demonic warrior. "He was driven off when Regalas awakened, that sword of his had no effect on Regalas."  
"Then you as well are devoid of fear," Impa remarked, her eyes shining with pride. "That means yet another cannot be touched by the Inferno's powers."  
Raura nodded, then bowed to Darunia and Nell. "I thank you for coming all this way. I only hope it was not in vain."  
The Goron nodded while the girl did as well. It was then that Darunia brought up a most important point. "How long do we have before the Armies of Dragmire reach us?"  
"I'm afraid," Nabooru said as she finally spoke. "That we do not have long. We expect Ganondorf to arrive within the hour, so there is little time with which to prepare anymore than we have." She sighed, then continued. "And something else we have never seen here before is approaching."  
Confusion ran abound the other Sages. Nabooru lowered her head. "There is a storm coming," she finally said. "A storm of rain, something that the valley has not seen in a thousand years."  
"This is an ill omen," Darunia let out. Everyone knew that the Gerudo Valley had not seen rain since the last war with the Drow a thousand years ago, and that rain had been a rain of corrosion which almost had been the defeat of the Gerudo and Hylian forces that day. "I pray that history is not repeating itself, but I fear it may."  
Regalas cocked his ears as there was a shout from outside the Temple. "He's here," he whispered, then turned to Nabooru. "I need a sword and arrows, preferable a straight blade as I'm used to."  
The Gerudo Queen nodded and called an aide to fetch the requested weapons. She looked to Regalas, then sighed. "I thank you for your aid here, Hylian. If we succeed in sealing my nephew into the Sacred Realm, you will be considered one of us, as will all in your bloodline to come. That pledge extends to you all."  
A general nodding of heads, and second cry came, this one in the tongue of the Gerudo. Nabooru snapped her head in the direction of the shout and knew that there was no time left; Ganondorf himself had arrived to lead his armies against his own people. She drew the scimitar from her belt and nodded to Regalas. "Come with me, all of you."  
  
It was quiet in the Temple of Time. The stone halls had been undisturbed save for Regalas and his band when they had come. The Master Sword lay dark before the Doors of Time, not even reflecting what dim light came from the lanterns.  
That is, until the blade began to glow with its own light once more. Silver blazed out while light burst from the keyslot in the alter to the Doors. The entire temple began rumbling, and as they had five years ago, the Doors of Time slid open to unleash the blazing light and energy which lay beyond.  
Something came through. A large heavy boot of red stepped out of the light, followed by another. Gold rimmed the sides and the lining where the ankle joints were, while the red gleamed as if made of ruby. A hand reached down to the shining Master Sword and picked it up, lifting the Sacred Blade and casting the reflection of a shining blue eye in its face.  
"It's time."  
  
Regalas led the Sages in a run to the top of the Temple of Spirit while the rest of the Gerudo forces scrambled to meet their approaching enemy. Scimitar, and pike were gathered for battle, and even as the women of the Gerudo valley assembled, the armies of Ganondorf entered what was once his home.  
"I have returned," he whispered to himself. He had changed much since the days five years ago when he took the TryForce and destroyed Hyrule Castle, thus beginning his reign of Darkness. Armor was laid over his leather attire, a cloak with the ancient Drow runes of worship to Dragmire sewn in flapping in the wind. He looked up to seen the growing storm clouds that bloated out what light was able to still get through here in the desert. He turned to Agahnim and grinned. "A grand sign for our final campaign against my one-time race, don't you agree?"  
The Drow nodded. He as well wore armor in this march against the Gerudo, dark red armor, a black cape billowing down from his shoulder pieces. Large gems were set in the wrist and knees of the armor, each glowing with an evil energy. "The Sages as well are here," he replied. "So are the reports at least. I do not yet understand why they have gathered together."  
"Nor do I." Ganondorf narrowed his eyes at the city where he had been born. Indeed, something bothered him about the rumors of the Sages. They had never been gathered together in one place, it was always too huge a risk. So why now tempt the death of all seven in one action now?  
The armies of undead and creatures of the once Sacred Realm came to a halt before the massive Gerudo city. The single Gerudo male in all of Hyrule stepped out and smiled towards those he had once called his own. "I have returned to my home!" he bellowed, making sure that all could hear his voice. "Just as I said I would nineteen years ago when you cast me out! I'm willing to accept you back, merely hand over the Sages, and swear loyalty to me and Dragmire!"  
"_Omae o keiuseru, kikei!_"  
He laughed. "Indeed, I think not! I hold the TryForce itself, I am immortal! Freak that I am, I cannot die!" It was then that an arrow shot out and brought down one of the beastmen of the Dark World. Ganondorf raised a brow and grinned. "Very well," he said with amusement. "So be it! Berath, prove your loyalties!"  
Just as Regalas and the Sages reached the top of the Temple, he and Raura looked out at the seemingly unending army, only to see yet _another_ come from behind to join Ganondorf. "By Alahyde," the oldest of the Sages whispered in horror. "Galia's army."  
"That filthy coward Berath betrayed us completely," Regalas spat in disgust. He strung his bow, took aim at Ganondorf, then saw the very man who had turned his back on Hyrule; Duke Berath of Galia. He quickly adjusted his aim and fired, his arrow striking true in Berath's throat. "Feel justice, _ithaka_."  
Raura was about to scold the newest Sage, then realize that he had just taken out a man who would have died anyway for treason if they won the day. Even as he saw Berath's body fall from Ganondorf's side, rain began to pour down from the clouds, and a crack of thunder split the air as lightning flashed in the skies. "It has begun then," he whispered.  
At that moment, the armies of evil surged forward, a thunderous cry coming from those of them that were alive. Arrows flew from the Gerudo archers, felling many of Ganondorf's soldiers, but still the undead, the beastmen, and the Galians came. Arrows continued to rain down upon the armies of evil, killing many that lived and bringing down those that were undead. Try as they might though, the archers of the Gerudo found that there were too many of the enemy to shot down at once.  
The armies reached the walls and began to set up ladders to climb up into the city. Regalas used his vantage point to shoot down many of the invaders, but then an entire section of the walls exploded and fell. Regalas was horrified by the site as he realized that he had not seen the suicide runners bearing explosives to bring down the walls. "By Ieyadon," he whispered. "They've broken the walls."  
"We have more troubles," Nabooru called, pointing to the west. Two pinpricks slowly grew, and Regalas' sharp eyes soon saw them to be the infamous witches of the temple out in the Deserts of Deception. "The TwinRova are aiding Ganondorf, I feared this would happen!"  
Regalas strung his bow again, whispering words and igniting his arrow with a tip of fire. "Then let them feel what awaits their souls in the Inferno." He let go, the arrow streaking out and slamming into one of the witches, but it had no effect on her at all! "What?!"  
"I should have told you!" The Gerudo Sage slapped her head in dismay. "The TwinRova are elementally imbued! You must strike one with the element that will smother their own!"  
He nodded and strung another arrow and reignited it with flame. This time, he aimed at the other witch and struck with his shot, causing her to plummet towards the earth. "She's down!"  
His cry of victory was in vain, for even as the witch fell, her sister shot down and grabbed her hand, both flashing and emerging from their light as a single being. The united TwinRova let out a laugh that was hideous to the ears and let loose upon the Gerudo with a hail of flame and ice.  
"It seems you merely made them worse," Impa stated just as lightning flashed over head. "We must seal Ganondorf now, before that witch gets the bright idea to attack us."  
Regalas looked to the other Sages, then nodded. "Yes, agreed. Start what you can, I'll try and make sure he cannot avoid the seal." Again he strung his bow and chanted, this time a different spell. Light blazed around the blade head of the arrow, golden light as pure as that which Regalas was the Sage to. He carefully aimed his arrow, then saw more light blaze around it. He looked back and realized it was into his arrow that the Sages were focusing their power.  
"Alahyde, Father of Wisdom and our souls," he whispered, closing his eyes in prayer. "Guide this arrow to he who has defiled the gift you gave us, the gift that was to guide us from the hands of one truly in balance...and forgive us, for banishing it with the son of Darkness."  
He let go, his arrow streaking forth down from the top of the Spirit Temple and racing towards Ganondorf. Nothing blocked its flight, nothing took the blow as the empowered arrow tore through the air towards its target. Just as Ganondorf turned, the arrow slammed through his armor and into his chest, bursting to unleash the seal of the seven Sages.  
"What?!" he screamed, feeling himself being torn from Hyrule. His body faded in and out of existence, Agahnim staring in horror as the light of the Sages swarmed about his master in a sphere. "How dare they! This is why they gathered, to banish me!"  
"Lord Ganondorf!" the Drow cried. He reached to withdraw the arrow, but was cast back to the ground, his hand smoking and scarred worse than before. "I swear, they shall pay for this!"  
It was then that Ganondorf laughed and grabbed the arrow. "Indeed," he growled through his grin. "They shall, because they...have..._failed!_"  
With a mighty pull, he ripped the arrow from his chest and threw it down, then cast out the power of the TryForce. The seal that had only begun to form shattered, essence flying out in all directions. The dark Lord of Evil smiled and turned to look at the Sages atop the temple. "Very clever," he muttered, then raised his voice. "But not enough! I am the master of the TryForce, ruler of all Creation!"  
He raised his hands and fired off a massive blast of pure dark energy towards the Sages. He had only one target in mind though; the man who had fired that arrow. He was the one that had the skill to attempt such a shot at that great distance, he was the greatest threat of the seven.  
Regalas gasped in horror when the seal failed and the bolt of energy was cast towards him. He raised his arms, then felt himself hit the ground and opened his eyes to stare in shock when Nabooru fell to the ground, smoke rising from her body and burns all over her skin. "No...no!"  
The Gerudo slowly opened her eyes and looked to the horrified six that remained. "We failed," she whispered, the pain evident. "But if we must die, it will be done as Sages; defending each other and our world to the end."  
And her body vanished. It didn't go limp with death, it didn't burst into flames from the blast, it simply vanished in a cascade of light that streamed into the sky. Regalas felt tears run down his cheeks, then screamed out in a mix of sorrow and rage. Nabooru had taken the blow meant for him, died in his place, and he knew why.  
He was the Sage of Light, the one meant to lead them all. He had to live, to continue the fight and continue to hope. It was all they had left now. It was all that was left.  
He drew his sword and stood, looking down at the field of battle. Ganondorf's armies had stormed the city, battling the Gerudo forces that had no idea their queen was dead, at the hands of her own kin. A bolt of lightning flashed as he raised his sword and took a step towards the edge of the temple roof. "Ganondorf!" he cried, making sure that the Emperor saw him. "Ganondorf, son of Dragmire!"  
The Gerudo man looked up towards Regalas and frowned. The Hylian was still alive?  
"I live!" he continued, holding his sword high. "But in my place died Nabooru, queen of the Gerudo, _your_ own kin! She died for a Hylian, a _Hylian!_ Your blood died protecting those you wish to destroy!"  
"Who are you to be so worthy?!" Ganondorf bellowed. He cared not for Nabooru, just as he had not cared when his mother died so long ago. The Gerudo said that it was sudden death from some kind of heart failure, but he knew it was not that. He himself had caused his mother's death, something that no one know, not even Agahnim. "Who are you to be so much trouble?!"  
"I am Regalas Veradal!" the Hylian replied. "Descendent of the Clan Latyra and Sage of Light! I challenge you, dark king, I challenge you, to the death!"  
A grin found its way to the dark king's lips. "The Sage of Light," he whispered, then drew his own massive sword. "Very well, Sage! Face me then!"  
"Regalas, no!" Raura cried, but the man had already jumped off the end of the temple. He pulled out a hookshot from the holding pouch on his belt, aimed, and fired at a high rise of the walling that remained. Regalas was instantly swung about, releasing the hold his hookshot had and flying towards the Gerudo man who stood waiting.  
With a flick of his wrist, Regalas flung the tool at one of the mortal soldiers who fought for Ganondorf, then swung his sword at the Gerudo. He knew his attack would be blocked, but at least he had blocked the swing that Ganondorf as well had made. Their eyes locked, blue against glowing red, both filled with fire.  
"Interesting that like me," the Gerudo snarled, "you have red hair!"  
"The blessing of Harkanian," Regalas snapped back, jumping up and kicking Ganondorf in the face, then deflecting a blow from his enemy. "All the more to rip out your black heart!"  
There was that grin again. Ganondorf just couldn't seem to abandon it. "You fail to realize something," he returned, punching Regalas hard in the gut and sending him to the ground. "I can't be killed."  
His chance was now. Regalas thrust forward and impaled his sword into Ganondorf chest. He almost smiled when the Gerudo gasped in pain, but could only stare when he pulled the weapon out and threw it to the ground. Ganondorf laughed and grabbed Regalas by the neck, then lifted him up to eye level. "Do you now see?!" came the words. "I am immortal, a God! I cannot die, and the one weapon which can harm me can be wielded by no one! I killed the Sword Magnus, I killed the Sage of Spirit...and I killed the Gods of Courage and Power! No one can stop me, not even Alahy-"  
Suddenly, light burst down through the clouds, piercing the rain and shining upon the field of battle. Everything stopped as all looked into the sky to see the sun shining down as it had done until five years ago. The Drow of Ganondorf's forces screamed as their skin was burned, most of all Agahnim, who felt his face burst into flames from the light. The masses of undead suddenly collapsed as they were robbed of animation, and the beastmean shielded their eyes, blinded by the radiant sun of Hyrule.  
And as Ganondorf himself, still holding Regalas, stared in utter disbelief at just how the sun could have cut through his unholy shroud, a figure appeared from the east, right behind Ganondorf's armies. Beastmen raced at him to attack, but in one move, the figure brought all of them down dead. His body was clad in armor of red and gold, long brown hair falling to his shoulders, and deep blue eyes sparkled. In his left hand was held a sword, and as he walked towards where Ganondorf stood, that sword shined with a light that was its own.  
"No," Ganondorf gasped in horror, releasing Regalas and turning to face this new arrival. "No! This can't be! It can't! The Master Sword has no Magnus!"  
But indeed, it was the Master Sword in his hands. The figure gazed at Ganondorf with a glow in his eyes that suddenly turned to fire. It was those eyes and that face which cause the dark King to become speechless. It was impossible, but here he stood, taller, not much older, but touched by experience none-the-less.  
Regalas could hardly breathe as he recognized this new arrival. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight before his eyes, but it was not a dream, and it was not an illusion. "Can it really be?"  
There was no doubt, it was all happening, it had happened.  
Harkin Tridelan, the Sword Magnus, had returned.  
  


To Be Continued...  



End file.
